LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

dhelfj. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



THE QUESTION 

OF 

BAPTISM 

FOREVER SETTLED. ■ 



THE GREAT 

CONTROVERSY 



AT AN END 



The "Water Line" Obliterated. 

The "Idol Broken." 

The "Holy Ghost" Re-enthroned. 

The "True Basis of Christian Union" Discovered. 

A "United Church" rendered possible. 



RH^V. J. S. NEIvSON, 



PUBLISHED BY 

THE NELSON PUBLISHING COMPANY, 

FORT WAYNE. IND. 



tU« 



Entered acoording to act of Congress, in the year 1894, by 

KEV. J. S. NELSON, 
in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at "Washington. 



The Library 
of Congress 



WASHINGTON 



PREFACE 



TpFTER much thought and careful study, I have become con- 
*\^ vinced that there is no subject so thoroughly misunder- 
stood and misrepresented as is the subject of Baptism. This 
would not be so serious a matter if it were not for the fact that 
Baptism is the thing above all other things represented in the 
Scripture as being of the highest importance, yea the "one thing 
needful" of which the Bible speaks, and to make a mistake here 
would be -indeed vital. To rectify if possible this mistake, this 
common misconception, and to give to the world what I believe 
to be the truth of God upon this subject, is the object of these 
pages. And if any soul shall arise from the perusal thereof, 
with a broader and more true conception of the significance of 
the term, and what is embraced therein, then I will be amply 
repaid. 



THE ARGUMENT. 



O Y FAR the greater thought and effort along this line has 
\j been expended in determining the mode of Baptism, rather 
than its character, to arrive at the truth as to the form of its 
administration rather than to determining the thing itself. As is 
well known there are many and varied forms in vogue by which 
baptism is now thought to be administered, each of which is 
defended by many learned and spacious arguments, upholding 
this or that particular form or mode. Nor is it an easy task to 
determine from what is said, just which is the true and right 
way. But in this very uncertainty lies a hint of the truth, viz: 
that baptism has no mode, and its benefits are not to be circum- 
scribed or in any way limited by anything in the human ex- 
cept true repentance and faith. For as baptism is not a cause 
but the result of a cause, it is clearly evident that the question 
of the mode of the operation producing the result, is to say the 
least, not the important question. Indeed as both the operation 
and the result are not of man but of God, it is difficult to see 
how man, being the subject of the operation, can at the same 
time be the active operator. 

And while it may be conceded that there are many factors 
or elements entering into true baptism, it is yet true that back of 



6 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

all of these is God, the one prime factor in the whole matter. 
That the subject of baptism, viz: man, and the factors producing 
the result are all of God is but the plain declaration of Scrip- 
ture: "For both he who sanctifieth and they who are sanctified 
are all of one," etc. 

There are many words in the Greek (the language in which 
the new Testament was first written) as well as in all other lan- 
guages which have more than one meaning, the difference in 
signification depending upon the connection. Hence it is almost 
absolutely necessary to know the thought in the mind of the 
speaker or writer, before we are able with certainty to translate 
the same. To illustrate— take the little word eis which is so 
frequently used in the Greek and which has so many different 
shades of meaning as expressed in the English. It is properly 
translated by any of the following words — into, to, towards, 
as far as, to the extent of, until, for the use of, or service of, in 
accordance with, to the end that, in order that, by, and also as 
the synonym of another Greek word en. Now it will readily 
appear to all that in using a word of such varied significance 
in the original and which can be properly translated by so many 
different English words (and yet these are by no means syno- 
nyms in the English) great care would have to be taken in order 
that the proper thought in the mind of the speaker or writer 
should be given in such language as to admit of no mistake. 
But right here lies the difficulty. A Greek writer uses the word 
eis of which we have spoken in describing an action or stating a 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 7 

fact. Suppose we take the subject most in dispute, viz: Bap- 
tism: It is claimed by some that Jesus went down into the 
water and was hence and of necessity immersed because this 
word eis or en is the word used to describe the action. Here 
it is — "And Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was 
baptized of John in the Jordan." The word here translated 
in is the same word eis of which we have spoken, and which 
has so many different significations. Now of course no person 
in the world is able to tell, from the use of this word in describ- 
ing the action, just where Jesus was baptized. Inasmuch as the 
word used is capable of various and altogether different con- 
structions, and therefore it is simply impossible to determine 
what really did transpire, or perhaps more properly, how it 
transpired, except as this may be determined by the use of other 
words in the connection. But a farther difficulty lies in the fact 
that many of these are words of uncertain signification, as for 
instance Apo. Mark 1:10 says: "And coming straightway 
apo, the water, etc." Now this word apo is confessedly as un- 
certain a word as to its signification as is eis or en, and no man 
is able to say with certainty just what apo means in any given 
sentence, unless he has first grasped the thought in the mind of 
the speaker, or writer. Hence it cannot be truthfully said that 
apo necessarily means "out of" in this connection any more 
than that eis means into. I will give a few of the different 
meanings of apo. It means, to come away from, from, forth 
from, departure, distance from, avoidance, riddance, derivation, 



8 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

source, etc., and as the equivalent of ek it also means out of. 
It will be readily seen that it might be misleading to place too 
much stress upon this word as well as on eis. The new version 
gives apo the signification of from in this connection. But not- 
withstanding this, I repeat that no living man is able to deter- 
mine from the use of this word just what did transpire, whether 
Jesus went down into the water, or whether He went to, or 
upon, or over, or through the water is not to be determined by 
the use of this word, or of eis. Whether or not the matter can 
be definitely determined by other words in the connection re- 
mains to be proven. But that which really did occur, viz: 
Baptism, is not thus left in doubt. On the contrary this matter 
is set forth in such language as not to admit of dispute, or doubt 
as to its having occurred. Indeed this is the great truth set 
forth. We are not informed as to how Jesus came from Gali- 
lee to Jordan. This is not important. He may have ridden, 
or walked or in any other way have performed the journey. It 
matters not, and it would.be just as sensible for the Christian 
Church to divide on the manner of Christ's coming to John, as 
it is to divide on the question as to how the baptism was per- 
formed by John. It is sufficient to know that Baptism did then 
and there occur, and the manner of its occurrence (in so far as 
it relates to water) is a matter of perfect indifference. This we 
expect to be fully able to set forth to the satisfaction of any un- 
prejudiced mind. For if the manner in which the baptism was 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 9 

performed was of any special significance, we would have been 
informed as to the manner of its fulfillment. 

But some having realized that no particular mode of baptism 
could be established from the use of the words eis or apo have 
rested their case solely and wholly upon the word Baptism, a 
word which is not translated at all, but which is simply trans- 
ferred from the Greek to the English language and given an. 
English ending. But alas for those who hope to establish any 
particular mode from the use of this word, for if there is a word 
anywhere of confessedly doubtful signification, that word is 
Baptism. So true is this that no translator is found who has 
cared to risk his reputation by translating it. But the universal 
practice has been to simply transfer the word, as I have said, 
and give it an English ending, (virtually saying here it is, take 
it and make the most of it), without in any way indicating its 
meaning. This of itself ought to show us that the word is of 
doubtful signification. And yet I believe a great mistake has 
been rnade right here. Translators of the Bible have no right 
to leave a word of this character to be translated by anybody 
and thus place the unlearned at the mercy of those who have no 
further interest in the word than to make it a tool by which 
some favorite doctrine mav be established, thus playing upon 
the ignorance and prejudices of the people. No, if there is one 
word more than any other which should have been made clear, 
that word is baptism. For as I said in the outset there has been 
no word which has been so misleading and which has been so 



10 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

much used to befog the human understanding and to blind the 
eyes to the truth as this word Baptise. Yet notwithstanding 
the uncertainly of the meaning to be attached to the word, 
there are those who in the face of all of this persist in de- 
claring that the word has but one signification and that is "to 
immerse," whereas like eis and apo this word baptize is capable 
of various significations. Here are some of them, to dip, to 
dye, to stain, tinge, wet, wash, cleanse, purify, and in the 
Scripture to heal or to purify by healing. In the face of all 
these various meanings and shades of meaning what is to be 
thought of the intelligence or honesty of the individual who 
persists in the statement that the word has only one meaning 
and that is "to immerse" Yea more, who stakes the Eternal 
Damnation of multitudes of those who love the Lord Jesus 
Christ, upon the certainty of his interpretation being the only 
correct one. 

Whereas it may be truthfully asserted, and proof to the 
contrary challenged without fear of successful contradictiop that 
nothing whatever as to mode can be gathered from the use of 
the word. And I further assert, and will show that the word 
has not the slightest reference to a mode of any kind whatever. 
But that it is the one word in all the Book which stands for 
that "without which no man shall see the Lord," viz: purity, 
cleansing, holiness, the "washing of regeneration and the renew- 
ing of the Holy Ghost." I submit that it is but reasonable, 
that when a word has confessedly more than one meaning or 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 11 

interpretation that it should be interpreted by that which har- 
monizes most readily and is a correct representation of that 
which is known to have been accomplished. If therefore 
holiness, sanctification, washing, cleansing, purifying, healing 
are terms which properly represent that which is the expressed 
will and purpose of God in us, and that also which properly 
describes the character of the work performed by the Divine 
Spirit upon every human soul coming unto Him, and if the 
Greek word Bapti^o may be and is properly translated by each 
and all of these words mentioned, then why in Heaven's name 
must we be restricted in interpreting this word to the use of 
English words, which although they do sometimes mean what 
those, who use them to interpret this word, so strenuously 
assert that they do mean and always mean, and yet which 
never have the significance of that which is always what Holy 
Scriptures represent as being the most necessary thing to be ac- 
complished in and for the human soul. If all this were entirely 
different and the Scriptures nowhere enforced the necessity of 
soul purity as a pre-requisite to "Eternal Life" and if further 
the word Baptise nowhere was known to have the signification 
of purity or of any of these terms which I have used, then and 
in that case there might be some excuse for misapprehension as 
to that which is referred to in Scripture when the word Baptise 
is used to express that which man must be or do to be saved. 
Then indeed we might hesitate to give it this interpretation. 
But when by every utterance of God to man the necessity of 



12 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

most radical purification is everywhere insisted upon, and when 
the purpose of God is also most clearly revealed to be man's 
ultimate and complete renovation, then indeed we believe our- 
selves to be entirely justified in our interpretation and in saying 
that Baptism means purity, and are led irresistibly to the con- 
clusion that baptism and cleansing are synonimous terms, and 
signify God's gracious work upon the human heart and soul. 
Whereas by limiting the meaning of the term to the simple idea 
of plunge, dip, immerse, sprinkle or pour, or to any other 
form of administration we by no means can direct the soul and 
mind of man to the thing necessary to be done. The words 
dip, plunge, immerse, sprinkle and pour never yet directed the 
soul to God, or to the idea of soul purity. It is simply impos- 
sible that they should do so because these words are never used 
to denote an action of that character. Can we possibly bring 
ourselves to believe that where a word may legitimately be used 
to mean that which is simply a human action, and the same 
word is also used to denote the action of God on behalf of the 
human soul, that when God is seeking to convey to our minds 
the idea of purity and moral renovation. He discards the 
higher signification of the word, and that therefore we are held 
to the lowest interpretation possible. Certainly no one will be 
found advocating such an absurd idea, and yet this is the very 
attitude in which those, who make the statement that Baptism 
means to immerse and nothing else, find themselves. We now 
repeat with more of certainty than before that notwithstanding 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 13 

the word does often mean to dip or plunge, there is not a soli- 
tary passage in all the Book where it necessarily means that 
thing, while there are many passages where such a rendering is 
impossible. It may now be well to examine some of these 
passages, where the word baptize occurs, to see its use, always 
remembering what has already been said. There are but few 
passages in which the word occurs in the Greek translation of 
the Old Testament, which as will be remembered was written in 
Hebrew. The first to which 1 will direct your attention is in the 
account of the temporary overthrow of Nebuchadnezzar, in 
which it is stated that he was turned out to eat grass 
as an ox, etc., or until his body was wet with the dews 
of Heaven, etc. The word here translated wet is this 
same word bapti^o of which we have been speaking and 
it will at once be seen that here at least the word cannot by 
any possibility be made to mean dip or plunge. Neither one of 
these words can be made to signify that which here took place. 
Suppose we use the word in the sense of dip or immerse, and 
the passage would read thus — "His body was dipped in the 
dews of Heaven." It is evident that we would be endeavoring 
to describe something which never could have taken place. No, 
evidently the Greek translators used the right word to describe 
that which actually occurred, and yet the word is bapti^p, We 
might refer in passing to another account of a certain transaction 
in which tha word is used to describe that which was done. 
The passage referred to is this — 2 Kings 5:14. It is that in 



14 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

which " Naman the Syrian" was directed to wash seven times in 
the river Jordan. The word which describes that which Naman 
was commanded to do is Lousai, 2l Greek word which is here 
translated wash, which is a proper translation of the word Lousai 
which means to wash. Now Naman may have dipped himself 
in the Jordan if he chose to do so, but if he did he certainly 
was not commanded to do so, and it is quite likely that he did 
not for we find that the word used to describe that which he was 
commanded to do is this word Lousai which we have already 
seen is a word which nowhere means to immerse, and is fre- 
quently used to describe occurrences where immersion is out of 
the question. Naman was told to go and wash that is Lousai. 
He no doubt did what he was commanded to do inasmuch as he 
received the blessing, viz: he was cleansed, or made whole, 
which as we have already said is synonymous with hapti^o 
when used in Scripture. But we must not fail to note the sig- 
nificance of the change of words in describing that which was 
commanded and that which was done. To wash was Naman's 
act and Lousai was the proper word to describe that act. But 
that which transpired was not Naman's act but God's, hence 
while Lousai was the proper word to describe the former 
act, it could not properly describe the latter. Hence another 
word, and one which God has chosen whereby to designate 
His gracious operation on the hearts of those who love and 
obey His will, is the word which describes that which was done 
to Naman, viz: Bapti^o. He was cleansed or healed not 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. . 15 

only as to the outward but possibly as to the inward. For "bap- 
tism "says Peter, " is not the washing away of the filth of the 
flash but the answer of a good conscience toward God," and 
Naman may have been baptized in the full sense of that term. 
And while it is true that Naman could have plunged into the 
Jordan if he had chosen to do so, there is nothing to indicate 
that he did so. The real thing which Naman did was to obey 
God, and the real thing which happened was God's gracious 
work on Naman's behalf. He was healed of his leprosy. The 
word to describe the former is most fittingly Lousai whereas 
that word which is used to describe the latter is baptiqo a word 
which has been chosen by God to set forth and describe that 
which " He, Himself," does for man. 

WE NOW COME TO THE NEW TESTAMENT 

use of the word. The first place where we find it used is 
in the 3rd chapter Matthew, and reads thus, "In those days 
came John the Baptist, etc." It would be manifestly a setting 
forth of the wrong idea if we should say John the dipper, 
or John the plunger, or sprinkler, ox power. We could never 
by the use of these words truthfully represent John's mission, 
which as set forth in Scripture, was to be the forerunner of 
Christ, the Messiah. To make ready the people for His recep- 
tion. But inasmuch as Christ's coming was not only a physical, 
but a spiritual fact as well, we must suppose the mission of 
John was to prepare the hearts and consciences of the people 



16 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

for that coming. How blind indeed would we consider that 
person to be who would interpret the following language liter- 
ally, " The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the 
way of the Lord and make his paths straight. Every valley 
shall be filled, every mountain and hill shall be brought low, 
and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places 
shall be made smooth, and all flesh shall see the salvation of 
God." Would we not consider such a person almost insane? 
That this language does not refer at all to the physical is that 
which all admit, and yet when John enters upon his mission 
and notwithstanding he is thus heralded forth as the great spir- 
itual renovator, and notwithstanding his very name is a prophecy 
of his mission, there are yet those who in spite of their own 
correct interpretation of the passage at once look upon John 
as having fulfilled his mission because forsooth they somehow 
conceive of him as being somewhat of an amphibious animal 
spending most of his time in the water, striving to dip, 
or plunge all who shall come to him, and as the account 
says that "all Jerusalem and all Judea and all the regions 
round about Jordan came to him and were baptize d of him in 
Jordan, confessing their sins," it is evident that if their concep- 
tion is true he must have (even as they seem to believe he did) 
staid in the water all of the time. But what nonsense. There 
is not the slightest evidence that he either stood in the water or 
that he was even very close thereto, as I shall most fully show. 
Indeed to believe anything else we must be wholly oblivious to 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 17 

the spiritual nature of John's mission and work, as fully set 
forth in the prophecy of Malichi — "Behold, I will send you Eli- 
jah, the prophet, before the coming of the great and notable day 
of the Lord; and he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the 
children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, etc. 
Here we find that the mission of John was not to wash away the 
"filth of the flesh" which the Apostle Peter declares" is not bap- 
tism; but that his mission was to the hearts and consciences of 
the people, the language just quoted is sufficient evidence. Just 
what John's baptism was, or in what it consisted will be referred 
to further on in the argument, but that it was the baptism, not 
of water y but of repentance for the "remission of sins" is that 
which Scripture everywhere declares it to have been. This is 
again more fully set forth in the communication of the angel to 
his father Zachariah, viz: "And he shall be filled with the Holy 
Ghost and many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the 
Lord, their God; and he shall go before Him in the spirit and 
power of Elias, tic." That John's mission was fulfilled not be- 
cause he came baptizing by means of water, but because he 
came preaching the baptism or purification of repentance (which 
is synonymous with this prophecy concerning him) is certainly 
true. In other words the "baptism of repentance for the remis- 
sion of sins" is surely synonymous with this utterance of the 
prophet, viz — "Turning the hearts of the fathers to the children 
and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just." Repentance is 
the turning away from sin and is that condition of the mind 



18 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

which always precedes true and genuine conversion, and true 
and genuine conversion always precedes true and genuine puri- 
fication by or of the Holy Ghost, and as John was now about 
to herald in the Christ, the hearts of the people must now be 
made ready for His reception. And as we have seen this was 
what John came to do, and when this was done his work was 
accomplished; and this was baptism, and the only baptism that 
John ever performed, and this baptism was performed by means 
of preaching the baptism or cleansing not "of water" but "of 
repentance," as we have seen. This is why he is called the 
bapti^er, the purifier, and not the dipper, or plunger, because 
the former words carry with them a prophecy of that which is 
the thing necessary to be accomplished and which was accom- 
plished, whereas the words plunge, or dip, or immerse, do not, 
neither can they. Hence his (John's) father Zachariah being 
filled with the Holy Ghost declared of him: "And thou child 
shall be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go be- 
fore the face of the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge 
of salvation to his people on account of the remission of their 
sins, because of the tender mercies of our God, through whom 
the Day-Spring from on high hath visited use, for the 
purpose of giving light to them who sit in darkness and in the 
gloom of death, to guide our feet in the ways of peace. " Who 
can read this mighty, soul-stirring passage which refers to and 
embraces the entire plan and purpose of God with reference to 
the salvation of mankind, and yet believe that he who was its 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 19 

first witness and herald had no higher conception of his mission 
than that he should dip or plunge the thousands of the people 
of Israel in the waters of the river Jordan. This seems too 
rediculous for serious belief. And yet if Baptism means to be 
dipped or plunged in water, this which I have mentioned must 
have been his chief or exclusive occupation, during his brief 
ministry. For, as I have already said, we must remember that 
all Jerusalem and all Judea and all the regions round about 
Jordan "came to him to be baptized. That baptism is synony- 
mous with purification is again most fully set forth in the 
prophecy of MaLchi to which I have already alluded in 
part ; where the Prophet, speaking of the purpose of not only 
the forerunner of Christ, but of Christ himself, speaks of it in 
this way "Behold I will send my messenger and he shall prepare 
the way before me and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly 
come to His temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant whom 
ye delight in. Behold He shall come saith the Lord of Hosts, 
but who may abide the day of His coming, and who shall stand 
when he appeareth, for He is like a refiner's fire and like fuller's 
soap and He shall sit as a refiner and " purifier " of silver and 
He shall " purify " (or baptize) the sons of Levi and purge them 
as gold and silver are purged. " For what purpose think ye ?" 
" That they may offer unto God a sacrifice in righteousness." 
Who can read this language and not recognize its fulfillment in 
these words of John the Baptist, " I indeed baptize you by means 
of water, but there cometh one after me the lachet of whose 



20 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

shoes I am not worthy to stoop and unloose, He shall baptize 
(or purify) you by means of the Holy Ghost and with fire, 
whose fan is in his hand and he will thoroughly purge 
His floor, etc." Can any one read these two passages of Scrip- 
ture, the one the last utterance of God in the Old, and the other 
the first in the New, and not be convinced that that which is 
prophesied in the old as being the work of Him who was the 
subject of the remark in the new, must refer not to physical purging 
but to the purifying of the heart of those who were the subject 
of the work of the latter, and inasmuch as we know absolutely 
that the work of Christ is to the soul and spirit of man, is it 
not safe to assume that John's was also ? It not only is 
declared of John that he was the forerunner of Christ, but he, 
himself, declares the fact in the very first utterance he makes to 
the people. " This is he of whom it is written the voice of one 
crying in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord and 
make his paths straight, etc." He further declares his mission 
thus, " But that He might be made manifest to Israel, therefore 
am I come baptizing by means of water." In other words 
John's mission was not only to prepare the people for the Christ 
but to introduce Him as it were. This he did by calling the 
attention of the people to the Christ in such words as these, — 
" Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the 
world." Once and again did he thus call the attention of the 
people to the fact that Jesus was the Christ in words similar to 
these quoted, until it is said that " All men were in expectation, 



CHRISTIAN BAPTIMS. 21 

etc." And before this also the theme of his utterance was the 
immediate coming of Christ, " There standeth one among you 
saith he, etc." We find that as soon as this, his mission, was 
accomplished his work suddenly ceased and the multitudes at 
once turn to following the Christ, which is in itself, a sure wit- 
ness to the faithfulness and efficiency of John's ministry. Oh, 
that we of the present day could make as " full proof of our 
ministry," as did John. 

Notwithstanding John's mission was thus practically at an 
end, we can readily see how it might have still continued at least 
for a time, and that is just what did occur. Not until John was 
cast into prison did his manner of purification cease. And in- 
deed it was practiced by some long after that for which it was 
inaugurated had been fulfilled. Hence we find that disputings 
arose between the disciples of John and of Christ as to which 
baptism or purifying was now the true one. John's disciples 
contending for the peculiar baptism instituted by their master, 
while no doubt the disciples of Christ contended for the manner 
of baptism instituted by Christ. This of itself reveals a marked 
distinction as between the two, even as both John and Christ 
assures us that th.ire is and was. For John had said: "I indeed 
baptize you with water, but he which cometh after me is 
mightier than I; He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and 
with fire, etc." John no doubt was well aware that his mission 
was now over, and that he must now "decrease" while the Christ 
and His work was now to "increase" even as he sought to impress 



22 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

upon his disciples the temporary character of his mission and 
work. But it is evident that they were slow to comprehend the 
truth. But we find the Master taking no part in these disput- 
ings, indeed it is especially stated of Him that as yet He did not 
baptize. The disciples did, clearly showing that He was "biding 
His time" and really did not enter fully upon his work until after 
John was cast into prison; He, no doubt, well knowing that he 
(John) should never again come forth therefrom, although in 
all probability John was ignorant of that fact. But that these 
disputings, of which I have spoken, should have arisen is noth- 
ing more than might have been expected from the human ele- 
ments entering in. Friction was bound to come up and it may 
have been that Christ withdrew with his disciples into Galilee 
in order to avoid them, knowing that soon there would be noth- 
ing in the way of the further prosecution of His work. This 
shortly transpiring in the removal of John, Jesus was left alone 
and at once prosecutes the work assigned to Him with seeming 
greater earnestness, so that when John sends two of his disci- 
ples to Jesus that he might be fully assured as to whether or not 
He (Christ) was, "He that should come or look we for 
another," they found the Master in the very midst of His 
work, "healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, raising the dead, 
etc.," all of which was evidence to John that he indeed 
was the very Messiah. And by this same token he knew 
that his mission was over and that his water separation, or 
cleansing, or baptism was also ended, (and this even though some 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 23 

of his disciples still kept up the practice,) He being row come 
whose cleansing or separation was to supersfde that of water, it 
may seem strange to some and indeed it is strange, that notwith- 
standing John heralded the Christ into the world as the Great 
Bapti^er, that yet among the many evidences that Christ sends 
back to John by which he is to recognize the truth-, baptism is 
not one of them. Unless it is true that healing the sick, cleans- 
ing the lepers, raising the dead, and casting out devils is indeed 
baptism. And such is the truth even as in the case of " Naman 
the Syrian " already spoken of. Not one word about water 
baptism, nothing to indicate that it was of any especial import- 
ance. No word signifying that He was dipping, plunging, pour- 
ing, or sprinkling anybody. How strange indeed this would 
be if water baptism was the very important thing which some 
would have us believe, how unaccountable even. If water 
baptism was the thing referred to by John it would seem that 
Jesus was extremely neglectful of that which was said to be His 
principal occupation. Could this be at all true ? Certainly not. 
The whole matter admits of but one explanation, and that is 
that water baptism is not the thing referred to by John or by 
the Prophet as being that which Christ came to do. And as I 
have before said this is the exact situation. That he was how- 
ever continually engaged by word and act in cleansing, purify- 
ing, baptising, healing all who came to Him for this purpose is 
everywhere manifest. Indeed after the death of John we have 
no evidence that ever any one of the Apostles baptized any one 



24 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

through the use of water, or into which water at all entered as a 
factor. 

THE NEW BIRTH. 

Christ's remark to Nicodemus, " Ye must be born again," 
(or from above), suplimented by the farther utterance, 
" Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot 
enter into the kingdom of God," is most generally supposed to 
refer to Baptism. Those who affirm that it does, almost inva- 
riably make the term water here used, to refer tf) the earthly 
element and this too notwithstanding it is so closely associated 
with the Spirit. It seems strange that any one should fail to 
see the impossibility in the argument. If baptism is the thing 
referred to, then the passage might properly read thus : Except 
a man be baptised of water and of the Spirit, etc. If this was 
the proper thought we would be forced to admit that two Bap- 
tisms are here set up, the one of water, earthly; and the other 
of the Spirit, heavenly ; but this would be in exact contradic- 
tion to Scripture, inasmuch as there is now declared to be but one 
baptism, and hence this rendering cannot be received as correct. 
The fact is that no matter to what this language refers, there is 
no necessity to suppose that because both water and the Spirit 
are spoken of, that therefore these two are separate and distinct 
from each other. On the contrary Water and the Spirit are 
by many passages of Scripture, shown to be identical. " I will 
pour water upon the thirsty and floods upon the dry ground." 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 25 

Again Christ refers to himself as the "Water of Life." 
And that we are born of Christ is true according to the Scrip- 
ture, " born not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, by the 
word of God which liveth and abideth forever. That Christ is 
the "word of God " will not be disputed, and hence it would be 
true to say that Born of Water and Born by the Word o/God, 
or " born of the Spirit" or baptised by the Holv Ghost are all 
expressive of the same truth. It would be as erroneous to sup- 
pose that two distinct operations were here contemplated, as it 
would be to "suppose that John the Baptist referred to two 
separate and distinct operations when he said " He shall baptize 
you with the Holy Ghost and with fire." It will at once be 
conceded, that the Holy Ghost and fire, here referred to, are 
identical and that the language does not refer to two distinct 
agencies. As it is in this passage, so it is in the one under con- 
sideration. To be "born of water and of the Spirit" if it refers 
to baptism at all, means exactly the same as being "baptized 
with the Holy Ghost" and with fire. That it has no reference 
to earthly water is evident. 

Again, the church has been all divided upon the question of 
whether the multitude who were said to have been baptized on 
the day of Pentecost were sprinkled, poured, or immersed, when 
the fact is that as far as the evidence goes to show, there was not 
a drop of water used upon that occasion, not a drop, and neither 
had it anything to do with the purification of those who, to the 
number of five thousand, turned to the Lord at that time imme- 



26 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

diately subsequent to that wonderful outpouring of the Holy 
Ghost, which was so marked a feature of that day. 

It is difficult to see how the baptism of John and that of Christ 
came ever to be confounded, in view of the great pains taken to 
keep them separate. The one was the "baptism of repentance for 
the remission of sins;" the other was the "renewing of the Holy 
Ghost." The visible element in the one was water, in the other 
the Spirit of God. There was also a great distinction as to the 
operator. The one was John the Baptist; the other was the 
Christ, the World's Redeemer. The former baptism seems to 
be that into which water in some way entered, whether as a 
visible sign or otherwise; the other was the exclusive work of the 
Divine Spirit. The one had no inherent power, by which the 
"comer thereunto could (by any possibility) be made perfect;" 
whereas the peculiar prerogative of the other was to "cleanse from 
all unrighteousness." In addition to all this there are to be found 
such passages as these continually recurring — " Being baptized 
with the baptism of John," " the word after the baptisn which 
John preached," "Unto what were ye baptized? They say 
unto John's baptism," " Knowing only the baptism of John," 
" / baptize you with water — but He shall baptize you with the 
Holy Ghost" " John, indeed baptized you with water but ye 
shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost" " Can ye be baptized 
with the baptism wherewith I am baptized, etc." All of these 
passages seem to be a strong effort to keep separate and distinct 
these two baptisms. This is certainly sufficiently marked not to 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 27 

need further testimony, and is a very significant fact in view of 
the persistent effort of some to make the baptism of John and 
that of Christ identical, when as we have seen Scripture every- 
where seeks to keep them separate. This truth will be easily 
seen whether we are examining the particular acts of the Master, 
or whether he is giving instruction to others, as to the truth. 
We find Him indeed giving instructions to the Apostles as to that 
which pertains to "life and Godliness," showing them how best 
to be stewards of the "manifold grace of God," teaching them 
both by precept and example in all of these things, and yet 
strange to say we never find Him saying one word about water 
baptism, to any person, anywhere, except once and that was to 
repudiate it as being His. He uttered not one word upon the 
subject. By no act or word of His are we taught to suppose 
that He would have us think of water baptism as at all essen- 
tial. Indeed the whole matter is treated with a silence wholly 
incompatible with the modern idea of its importance. How 
strange, in view of all this, that any one should think of water 
baptism as being that of which the Master speaks and which he 
enjoins as being the "one thing needful," arid without v/hich 
salvation is impossible. Of baptism He was wont to speak; 
He said to his disciples at one time: "Can ye drink of the cup 
which I drink of, or be baptized with the baptism with which 
I am baptized?" "They said unto Him, we are able." "He said 
unto them ye shall indeed, etc." But this, by common consent, 
does not refer to water baptism, and if it does not refer to 



28 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

water , it establishes another baptism than that of water. And 
not only so but it establishes that one as being the baptism 
wherewith Christ was baptized, and it only remains to be shown 
with what character of baptism Christ was baptized in order to 
show that to which this passage refers. If there are or were two 
baptisms, one of water and the other of the Holy Ghost we 
certainly would expect that He, who was to be the great Holy 
Ghost bapti^er would be baptized with the later, and so we find 
He was. That he came to John not to be baptized, with the 
"baptism which John preached," is evident from the fact that 
John is everywhere said to have preached the "baptism of re- 
pentance for the remission of sins," and as the Christ was "with- 
out sin, neither was guile found in His mouth," it is evident 
that He did not come to John for the purpose of being baptized 
with John's baptism. But he came for baptism, nevertheless, 
for it is particularly stated that that was the thing which oc- 
curred, and if it was not John's baptism for the "remission of 
sins," (and certainly no one will claim that he came to John for 
that purpose), it must have been for another. But was there 
another? Certainly, viz. that of the Holy Ghost. But did he 
receive this baptism? He did, for John testifies that He who 
had sent him to baptize by means of water, the same said unto 
him: "Upon whosoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending 
and abiding upon Him, the same is He that baptizeth with the 
Holy Ghost." And it is said that "John saw and bear record, 
etc." This ought to settle the question as to how the Master, 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 29 

Himself, was baptized, and inasmuch as He promised to His dis- 
ciples a baptism of like character to His own, it seems to me 
that there should be no further dispute as to the manner of bap- 
tism with which the disciples were baptized. That the disciples 
had previously been baptized with or by means of water is that 
which the Master, Himself, declares, "John indeed baptized you 
with water, etc." So that He could not have intended to teach 
a second baptism in or with water, and yet this is the only thing 
that He could mean, if the baptism to which he referred was of 
the character of that of John's. But the baptism was not of that 
character, but was, according to His own promise, to be that of 
the Holy Ghost, thus establishing beyond controversy the char- 
acter of the baptism, with which He Himself was baptized, and 
which the disciples also received on the day of Pentecost, which 
was not only a complete fulfillment of the promise of the Mas- 
ter to them but was also a fulfillment of the prophecy of Joel as 
well. 

We will now examine the character of that which transpired 
and which is said to have constituted John's baptism. The 
first mention of John after the prophetic utterance referred to is 
found in the third chapter of Matthew, thus : "In those days 
came John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 
and saying (now mark) "Repent ye for the kingdom of Heaven 
is at hand, etc." * * * "Then went out to him Jerusalem 
and all Judea and all the regions round about Jordan and were 
all baptised of him in Jordan confessing their sins, etc." * * 



30 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

* * "I indeed baptize you with water (or by the means of 
water) unto repentance etc." Mark speaks of this same thing 
thus: "John did indeed baptize in the wilderness and preach 
the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins" (or as 
Paul afterwards puts it, Acts 19-4 : "John verily baptized with 
the baptism of repentance," tic.) "and there went out to Him 
all the land of Judea and they of Jerusalem and were all bap- 
tized of him in Jordan confessing their sins." Luke speaks of 
it thus: "And he (John) came into the country about (or near 
unto) Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the re- 
mission of sins." Then said he to the multitudes that came to 
his baptism, etc., "Now when all the people were baptized" * 

* * # «why baptizeth thou them ?" "These things were 
done in Bethabara beyond (or across) the Jordan where John 
first baptized," etc. There is in all of this much that will help 
us to understand the nature and character of John's baptism. 
That his baptism is particularly referred to not as the baptism 
of water, but as the baptism "of repentance for the remission 
of sins" is made very clear. This is in exact harmony with the 
utterance ot all prophecy and prove beyond controversy that 
John's baptism had to do with the hearts and consciences of the 
people, and that it is therefore of the highest spiritual signifi- 
cance is manifest. The question has often been asked how was 
it possible for John during the short period of his ministry to 
have baptized the vast multitudes who came to him for that 
purpose? Those who do not believe in immersion as the only 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 31 

mode of baptism believe that they have in this physical impossi- 
bility an unanswerable argument opposing the theory of the 
immersionist, and indeed they have. John could not by any 
means, (short of the miraculous), have accomplished the task. 
He could not have done it had he stood in the water all the time. 
But while this is true, the same thing could be said of any other 
mode commonly thought to be the one adopted by him. John 
could not have taken each one separately by the hand. He 
could not have even spoken to each one separately. He could 
not have even counted the vast throngs that came to him at that 
time. It could, with as much of evidence, be asserted that he 
held a separate and distinct conversation with each individual 
who came to him to be baptized as that he personally manipu- 
lated all who came to him. There is not the slightest evidence 
that anything of this character occurred. John came to admin- 
ister baptism, cleansing and purification to the hearts and minds 
of the people. Repentance and the remission of all previous 
sins were the result of his preaching. His mission was to make 
ready the multitude of the house of Israel for the coming of the 
Lord. "To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and 
the disobedient to the wisdom of the just." To suppose that 
such a mission could be fulfilled by the administration of water 
in any form is to lose sight of the real and the true. It is not 
at all necessary to suppose that John manipulated personally 
and separately, all that vast throng of people. This is not the 
way that Israel, as such, was ever cleansed or baptized. On the 



32 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

contrary it was in mighty mass that Israel always stood before 
their God for cleansing. And while it is true that cases are 
cited in which individuals were said to have been purified, yet it 
is also true, as I have said, that the great multitudes were fre- 
quently cleansed or baptized, so to speak, en masse. From the 
very first this seems to have been the method chosen. Those 
who were baptized or cleansed into, or in, or with Noah, were 
thus all cleansed by one act, viz: coming into the Ark: which 
Apostle says is a "figure of a later baptism which doth now save 
us;" viz: the baptism of the Holy Ghost. Again, when Moses 
was sent by God to the people of Israel, then in bondage, in 
Egypt, in order that they might be delivered therefrom, and 
when he led them out and through the Red Sea, that separation, 
and that which then and there transpired was called a Baptism, 
although there is no person that ever conceives of it as that 
each one of Israel's millions were separately manipulated by the 
hand of Moses. That none of them even had the "soles of thei 
feet wet" is that which is stated. And all through their historyr 
there is instance, after instance, given where the entire nation as 
such was purified en masse. As Noah, and Moses, Samuel and 
the Judges, and the Priests of Israel cleaned and purified the 
numbers of Israel, so no doubt did John the Baptist, or John the 
Purifier. And if we consider the number of those who came to 
John's baptism, they were no doubt as numerous as were they 
in the olden time, when it was said by Paul: "All our fathers 
were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and were 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 33 

all baptised unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, etc." 
There can be no good reason given for supposing that John 
baptized differently than did those others who are said to have 
often ceremonially cleansed the multitudes of Israel. In the 
absence of proof as to a change of method we certainly will have 
to be held by the precedents. And that the precedents all favor 
the latter method is that which cannot be truthfully denied. 

That John baptized the vast multitude, that came to him to 
be purified, just as Moses did the vast multitude, that passed 
through the sea to him, is without doubt true, and hence all the 
disputings in the church as to whether John's baptism was by 
sprinkling, pouring, or by immersion, has all been for naught, 
inasmuch as we have shown that the baptism spoken of as being 
the purification of separation from a dead past, and life under 
new and better environments, was, as saith the Apostle, but the 
"figure of the baptism which now saves:" "Not the putting 
away of the filth of the flesh but the answer of a good conscience 
towards God.*" They were not baptized in either of these 
modes referred to. 

Let us for a moment view the circumstances under which 
John baptized the multitudes of Israel. In addition to the num- 
bers already referred to there were some other very special cir- 
cumstances which suggest that to which I have already referred. 

It will be remembered that John according to the Scriptures 
was baptized in Bethabara which lies beyond or across the 
Jordan. But how far this was from the banks of the river is 



34 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

not known, neither is it important. That he was upon the 
eastern shore is that which is stated. If we will also remember 
that it is particularly stated that the "Jordan overflowed its 
banks all the time of the harvest" (which was practically all 
summer) we will have another item of interest to contemplate in 
connection with this very interesting and important subject. That 
the Jordan was any more passible at the time of John's enter- 
ing upon his mission, than it was in the olden time when Joshua 
led the hosts of Israel through it, is not at all likely. That John 
chose his position at the very spot where centuries before their 
fathers passed this same rolling flood is not to be wondered at. 
That it was the same is certainly true. Bethabara is beyond. 
Jordan almost opposite Jericho. It was here as I have said, 
that John took his stand. How full of significance is this ! 
With what awe and feelings of veneration must the multitues 
of Israel have looked upon John. When we also remember that 
all of Israel's millions were upon the side of the river opposite to 
where John had taken up his position, we will perhaps begin to 
appreciate the situation and understand something of that which 
must have transpired. Did the mighty Jordan divide as in the 
olden time to allow the vast hosts of Israel to pass through ? 
I know not. I only know that he who in other form, in other 
days smote its rolling flood and bade its seething waters stand 
aside and make a highway for himself and his young disciple 
and friend Elisha, now stood once again before its heaving, 
swelling tide, clothed no doubt with all the old time power, and 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 35 

calling io the multitude and saying: "Save yourselves from this 
untoward generation" (or words to that effect.) That the mul- 
titudes came to him is that which is declared and in the separa- 
tion and repentance they were purified, cleansed or baptised. 
It may be well supposed that many of those who thus passed 
over to John were not fully cleansed, any more than were 
all the multitudes who before had passed over to Moses and who 
were said to have been then and there baptized in the act. 
That such baptisms were not thorough cleansings or complete 
purification is quite evident. That all were merely figures of a 
coming complete baptism is that which is declared. Paul writ- 
ing to the Hebrew says "I would not have you ignorant that all 
our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea 
and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea." 
4 'But with many of them God was not well pleased," etc. This 
and other passages, which might be mentioned, clearly show 
the character of those baptisms not to have been of a thoroughly 
purifying nature. They, in addition to the then present separa- 
tions from evil surroundings and influences, pointed to, and 
were prophetic of a coming better day, in which there would be 
a more complete purification wrought out for the sons of Jacob. 
John's baptism differed from those which had preceded it only 
in this, that this now was upon the very threshold of the new 
dispensation. And to John was given the privilege of calling 
Israel once again to repentance towards God and to so intro- 
duce them to the Christ that they might have faith in Him. 



J6 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

Whatever may be said as to the honor bestowed upon those in 
the olden time, who were called to represent God upon earth, 
not one of them occupied so high a position oi honor as did he, 
who in the last days, and for the last time stood and called 
upon the people to separate themselves from the dead past and 
be made ready to have their sins all washed away "when the 
times of refreshing Should come from the presence of the lord." 
That John held a unique position and was a most highly hon- 
ored representative ot (\od among" men is that which is stated. 
"Verily 1 say unto you among those who are born oi women 
there has not arisen a greatei than Jonn the Baptist, etc." But 
that his baptism was any more complete than were those oi 
former times is not to be supposed. Another was vet to come 
"the latchet oi whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down 
and unloose." 

lilt BAPTISM OF CHRIST, 

Alter the multitudes had all been baptized it is stated that 
"Jesus came from Nazareth oi Galilee and was also baptized oi 
John in the Jordan." It is sometimes argued that the baptism oi 
Christ's was a necessary thing, inasmuch as He was now accord- 
ing to the ceremonial law to enter upon His office oi the priest- 
hood, But those who thus argue certainly forget the fact that 
there was no law in the case, only the sons oi Levi were eligible 
to the office oi the priesthood under the provisions oi the cere- 
monial law. and as it is well known that Christ sprang from the 
tube o\ Judea, there couU have been no law that required him 



( HRISTIAN BAPTIMS. \7 

to be (inis set aparl ii> the office. Ami thai the rcmarB <»i lohn 
to Christ, "i have need i<» be baptized oi i hee and comesl I hou to 
me;" together with the reply oi the Waster: "Suffer ii to he so 
now, for thus ii becometh us to fulfill all righteousness," d< »c . no! 

refer !<» any .ict command \\ by law, There was no law govern- 
ing the case. Indeed as far as the law is concerned thfs acl w.i in 
I opposition thereto, rhe lewish law would never havesanc- 
tioned such a Step. Such a thing had never before transpired. NO, 
i( was not to fulfill the provisions of any law human thai the Mastei 
was baptized by lohn. Thai there was a righteous motive gov- 
erning His act is not to be denied, viz: lulillment <>( prophesy, 
Bui thai His act was in fullfillmenl oi any specific law can - 

nol be mainlained. That that which transpired was an e ; 

acl through which he was more particularly set apart to His 

greal work is no doubt true. But this is not the reason given as 

to why this Scene was now enacted. ( )n the contrary, John 

forth tne object oi His baptism to be, in addition to thai already 

set forth, that ( .In r I should be made manifest to Israel: 'There- 
fore am I COme baptizing by means Oi water." We have in 
this declaration Of John the real cane ol this most wonderful 
demonstration. Mrs! the gathering crowds ol Israel, lor what 
do they wait and what do they expect? Listen: "While all 

men mused in their hearts and all wen- in expectation, etc," 

they were waiting tor the Christ to manifest Himself 01 thai lie 

might be manifested. It is particularly stated that lohn, him 
self, did not know who the Christ was prior to this. lohn 



38 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

seems to have been as ignorant as to who He was as were the 
rest of the vast multitudes who were looking for His advent. 
How was John to know Him when He should make His appear- 
ance? This matter was not left in doubt. John gives the token* 
by which he was to recognize the Christ, when He should come, 
in these words: "Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit 
descending and abiding with Him, the same is He that bapti^eth 
with the Holy Ghost." This was definite and rendered a mis- 
take an impossibility, inasmuch as no person other than He, 
Who had sent John to baptize, could at all have produced the 
phenomenon. And it is stated that John "saw and bare record 
that this is the Son of God;" "The Lamb of God that taketh 
away the sins of the world." That there is much of misunder- 
standing as to the reason why John forbade Jesus is evident and 
not to be wondered at. The passage is not at all clear. The 
literal rendering is this: John was preventing or detaining 
Him. This is not surprising, on the contrary, it is very natural. 
What was John detaining Him for? It is plainly set forth: "I 
have need to be baptised of Thee." John was setting forth 
his great need of being thoroughly purified. His own baptism, 
like all others which had preceded his, had been but partial puri- 
fication. Many who were the subjects thereof were not mate- 
rially benefitted. "With many of them God was not well 
pleased." But John had just declared that One was coming 
who would thoroughly purify. This One now stood before 
John. He had just seen the token. This was the Christ, the 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 39 

Messiah of God. The first desire of John found quick expres- 
sion, which was to be baptized with Christ's baptism. He wished 
complete and thorough cleansing. Now was his opportunity. 
"Thou comest to me. Thou art here, I have need therefore to 
be baptised of Thee." This no doubt was why John was hin- 
dering Him, for the Greek word used, and which fs translated 
forbade, also means to prevent, or hinder, or detain. That this 
was what John was doing is that which is stated. Christ's re- 
mark, "Suffer it to be so now," is followed by the good and 
sufficient reason as to why He could not at this time do for 
John that which he wished: "It becometh us to fulfill all 
righteousness." The evident thought is that as yet Christ had 
not fulfilled all that was necessary for Him to do before it was 
His prerogative to baptize with the Holy Ghost. There was right- 
eousness yet to be wrought out or fulfilled. What does this 
mean? It means that ere He was fully equipped for His work 
and mission he had yet to meet and vanquish the tempter. This 
matter was urgent. The Spirit with which he had just now 
been endued was even now urging Him out in the desert to meet 
His enemy and man's. He must not be delayed. He must 
away to the encounter, pressed thereto now by the mighty in- 
terests involved. The fate of the world hung on the issue. He 
must go out and alone meet the enemy and conquer him before 
He was prepared or able to enter upon His mission. He must 
prove Himself a better representative for humanity than was the 
first Adam. All this was yet to be accomplished and John was 



40 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

standing in the way of its accomplishment. That Jesus ex- 
plained the situation to John is evident, and "Then he suffered 
Him" to depart without having performed for him what he had 
wished for, viz: to be thoroughly baptised. Let us once again 
view the situation. It is safe to assume that in whatever man- 
ner or way the people came to John, the Master also came; 
and if it be true (and it cannot be denied) that the multitudes 
were upon the opposite bank of the river from that on which 
John was, and if they must hence, and of necessity, have come 
to him over, around or through the water, then Jesus no doubt 
came in the same way. It would then be as He was coming 
"up from the water" on the east side of the Jordan, after hav- 
ing passed over, or through it, that the wonderful demonstration 
took place which was to proclaim to John the fact that He was 
the Christ. John from his position on the eastern shore must 
then have beheld the Master coming up to him from the water, 
and it matters not at what distance John stood from the river, 
all of this must have transpired while He was on the way com- 
ing up to where John had taken his stand. John, notwith- 
standing he was, as were the people, in full expectation and 
waiting for the coming of the Christ, may yet be supposed to be 
somewhat surprised or at least awed. Yet when he sees the 
token, it may also be supposed that at once he would go forth 
to meet the Christ. 

The fact that the Holy Ghost came upon Christ as He was 
moving away or coming up from the water, with His face set 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 41 

toward the wilderness, is that which is very plainly set forth. 
That the conversation between John and Christ, in which John 
sets forth his great need for baptism at the hands of the Master, 
which baptism was refused on the ground that as yet all right- 
eousness had not been fully accomplished or fulfilled, must have 
transpired after the descent of the Spirit is manifest, "inasmuch, 
as according to John's own statement, "I knew Him not;" and 
therefore he could not have held a conversation of this character 
with Him previous to the giving of the token which was to re- 
veal His identity. The idea therefore which we get from the 
the rendering of this passage — that the Holy Ghost came upon 
Christ after the conversation with John, is manifestly incorrect. 
But if we will remember that the Book does not always record 
events in the order in which they transpire, it will help us to 
readily reconcile the matter. In this same story, as given by 
Luke, there is an example of this in the 21st verse of the 3rd 
chapter, in which the story of this manifestation is recorded, 
"After that John was cast into prison," which as we know is 
not the thing intended to be set forth. And yet it would be as 
manifestly wrong to suppose that this manifestation took place 
after the conversation spoken of, as it would be to suppose it to 
have occurred after that "John was cast into prison." Neither 
of these satements can be received as being correct, inasmuch as 
it is impossible that they should be in the very nature of the 
case. But the apparent discrepancy is not to be thought real, 
because as I have said, the Book does not purport to record each 



42 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

incident in the order in which it occurred. It only states that 
which did occur. That Christ came to John in order to be 
baptized is true. That He was baptized is also true. That 
His baptism was of like character as that with which His disci- 
ples were to be baptized is that which He, Himself, declares. 
And inasmuch as He declared that the baptism wherewith they 
would be baptized was to be that of the Holy Ghost, and inas- 
much as we know them to have been baptized in that way, we 
are forced to the conclusion that Christ's baptism occurred at 
the time when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon Him. The 
entire passage is thus made to be not only consistent with itself, 
but with every other statement in the Book whether in pro- 
phecy or otherwise. Christ was therefore baptized not with 
water in any form but with the Holy Ghost, which it is else- 
where stated He received without measure. To be associated 
with Christ in His work was John's highest ambition. This 
however was denied him. Like Moses his mission was now ful- 
filled. John was the ending of the old dispensation. He was 
to have no part in the establishment of the new order of things 
further than to introduce it. He stood the climax of the old. 
But it seems to have been decreed of him. "Hitherto shalt thou 
come," and beyond this decree he could not pass, any more 
than could Moses before him. To others ' 'chosen before of 
God" was reserved the high honor of close, daily companion- 
ship with the Master, to hear the "gracious words which pro- 
ceeded out of His mouth" and to be baptised with the baptism 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 43 

with which he was baptized. John was not the only one de- 
nied his petition by any means. But that he was denied a part 
in the future work of the Master is that which we have seen. 
But notwithstanding we find that the Master here refused the 
expressed wish of John because that as yet He had not been 
fully prepared for the work which He had come to do, it yet is 
true that in a short time we do find Him fully entering upon 
His work. And we may expect to find clear indications of that 
which He, Himself, conceived to be His mission. For certainly 
He will be found earnestly engaging in the same. And He, 
who at the age of 12 years was anxious to enter at once upon 
His "Father's business," will now be found actively prosecuting 
the same. But strange to say we find him nowhere engaging in 
water baptism. That this is true is not after all strange. 
Water baptism is nowhere declared to be any part of the work 
He came to do. Not in all the history of His acts here on earth, 
is it anywhere intimated that baptism by means of water was 
any part of that which He came to perform. He came the 
mighty fulfillment of all that the Scriptures had said should be. 
But neither in prophecy or in its fulfillment is His work said to 
be water baptism; neither does He so understand it, else He 
would be found engaging therein. Moses, the Prophets, the 
Psalms, yea the whole Book is full of that which He is repre- 
sented as being doing, but, strange as it may seem, while all else 
that He was to accomplish upon Earth, among men, is elabor- 
ated and pictured out in such abundant fullness that language 



44 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

seems to be exhausted in the endeavor to properly and ade- 
quately set forth His work and mission, ytt not once in all the 
Book, full of that which He is set forth as being and doing, is 
the subject of water baptism spoken of, or even hinted at as 
being among the things to be fulfilled in Him or by Him. I re- 
peat that this is certainly remarkable, especially when taken in 
connection with the further fact, already mentioned, that while 
here among men He never was known to even refer to the sub- 
ject, except once, and that was to establish the fact that His bap- 
tism was not of that character. "John," He says, "baptised 
you thus, but ye shall be baptized otherwise; and they were. If 
it be remembered that this remark of the Master's was made but 
a few days prior to the day of Pentecost, when such a wondrous 
manifestation of the Divine power was displayed, which was by 
Him designated a baptism we will perhaps be able to learn then 
the true significance of the term baptism. 

It will be remembered that this baptism, which the deciples 
were to receive and for which they were instructed to wait at 
Jerusalem, was promised at the same time that they were given 
this great commission to "go into all the world and preach the 
Gospel to every creature, baptising them," etc. This commis- 
sion furnishes the ground for all christian baptism, since the 
time of its utterance, and as it is therefore the basis of all 
authority for present baptism, it may be well to examine its 
specifications, to ascertain if possible that which is contained 
therein. We find in the first place that it is a result to be 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 45 

attained through certain specific and well defined agencies, and 
if water was one of these we will certainly find the same fully 
stated. For it is not to be supposed that at such a time any- 
thing that is of great significance will be omitted or left uncer- 
tain. 

The first thing commanded or enjoined is this, "Go ye into 
all the world." This was of the utmost importance, inasmuch 
as heretofore the Gospel seems to have been limited. It was so 
in all the olden time and especially among the Jews. They 
alone of all the children of men were made the custodians of 
the Gospel of God, or of His revelation to man. Now however 
this was to be changed for the time had now come, "spoken of 
by the prophets since the world began " in the which " all flesh 
should see the salvation of God." They were now instructed 
to " go into all the world and preach the gospel." Not to a 
limited few, but to " every creature." This is certainly import- 
ant. The next statement is equally so. " He that believeth and 
is baptised shall be saved," etc. That there is not the slightest 
hint of water here must be manifest to all. Baptism indeed is 
spoken of. Indeed a failure in this matter is made a bar to sal- 
vation, or at least the promise of salvation is predicated upon it 
in connection with belief. Mark appends a very minute descrip- 
tion of the evidences which should attend those who believe but 
nothing whatever is said of water baptism. Matthew sets forth 
this same thing, in somewhat different language it is true, but 
of course the things commanded must agree in fact. " All 



46 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

power is given into Me both in Heaven and in earth. Go ye 
therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name (or 
character) of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.. 
Teaching them to observe all things whatsover I have com- 
manded you." In the Acts of the Apostles, 1st Chapter, this 
matter is referred to again in these words, "And being assembled: 
together with them He commanded them not to depart from 
Jerusalem but wait for the promise of the Father which ye have 
heard of Me. For John truly baptised you with water, but ye 
shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 
" That this statement in Acts is a part of the conversation which 
Jesus had with His disciples after His resurrection is not to be 
denied, and if it is, we find the minds of the deciples directed in 
that conversation not to "water baptism" but to the "baptism 
of the Holy Ghost." Is it possible to conceive of the Apostles 
as catching the idea that it was of water, that He was speaking, 
as the thing most essential. And if it was not of water that He 
was speaking in this place then water is not the thing spoken of 
at all, and hence has no part or place in the great scheme of 
salvation. That it has not we fully believe and will fully show. 
Those who hold to baptism as being necessary' to Salvation have 
in these passages quoted a sure and infallible ground for their 
belief. There is nothing more strongly set forth in Scripture 
than this one fact " without holiness no man shall see the Lord.'* 
" He that belie veth and is baptised shall be saved." If it is still 
claimed that water baptism is the thing referred to in these and 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 47 

other passages quoted, then indeed water baptism is the most 
essential thing possible. Yea, it is that " without which no man 
can see the Lord." There is indeed no salvation without it. 
But can we possibly bring our minds to receive such a doctrine? 
Is it possible for us to believe that He, who came the great ful- 
fillment of all the types and shadows of the past and who came 
the realization of all that was promised to man, did after all do 
nothing more than institute another form, the faithful observ- 
ance of which by man would secure salvation, and the neglect 
of which should result in our everlasting overthrow and forever 
debar us the Kingdom ? Did the disciples so understand it ? 
If they did they will certainly make the matter plain. Let us 
then proceed to examine their acts and teachings for they were 
particularly commanded " teaching them to observe all things, 
whatsoever I have commanded you." And if they understand 
that water baptism was not only one of the things commanded 
but the principal thing, we no doubt will find them everywhere 
laying particular emphasis upon its observance Let us proceed. 

DAY OF PENTECOST. 

We now come to the "Day of Pentecost," and we find that 
which was promised actually occurring. "And when the Day 
of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in 
one place. And suddenly there came a sound from Heaven as 
of a mighty, rushing wind, and it filled all the house where they 
were sitting. And then appeared unto them cloven tongues as 
of fire and it sat upon each of them and they were all filled with 



48 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues as the 
Spirit gave them utterance." Let it be remembered that this 
which was now occurring was in fulfillment of the promise 
which Christ had made to the disciples but a few days previous 
to this event. "Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not 
many days hence." We also find on the authority of Peter that 
that which there transpired was also the fulfillment of still an- 
other promise made through the Prophet Joel, thus: "It shall 
come to pass in the last days, saith the Lord, that I will pour out 
My Spirit upon all flesh." There certainly does not seem to 
be any water baptism here. On the contrary, we know that 
the baptism, which was here bestowed, was that of the Divine 
Spirit, which had been previously promised by both the Father 
and Son. But it may be said that this does not refer to any act 
of the Apostles in carrying out the provisions of the commission 
which they had received shortly before. True, we will there- 
fore pass on to some definite act which will reveal their under- 
standing of the terms of the commission itself. We have not 
long to wait, for at once it is stated that Peter standing up 
preached to them Jesus. And when they heard the gospel, 
from the mouth of Peter, they were "pricked in their hearts and 
said to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles, men and brethren, 
what shall we do?" Here we find the first provision of the 
commission complied with: The gospel was preached to these 
people. They were evidently under conviction. Nay more, 
they were anxious inquirers after the truth. We will now hear 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 49 

what Peter and the rest of the Apostles have to say. For what 
they now command will reveal their understanding of that 
which is necessary for these people to do in order to be saved. 
And if water baptism is the necessary thing and the one re- 
ferred to by Christ, and the one which he had in mind when He 
sent them forth to "Disciple the nations" we will now be fully 
apprised of the fact. But what does Peter say to these people? 
" Repent and be baptised, every one of you( — in water? No,) 
into the name (or character) of Jesus Christ and ye shall re- 
ceive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you 
and your children and to all who are afar off, even to as many 
as the Lord our God shall call, etc." And it is stated that "all 
who gladly received the word were baptised and the same day 
were added about three thousand souls." If we were disposed 
to inquire what promise Peter referred to here, as being the gift 
of the Holy Ghost, we would be obliged to say the promise, the 
terms of which he had just quoted, viz: that given through Joel 
the prophet. That they did all receive this is that which is 
stated when it is declared that they were all baptised, for we 
have st:.n before that the two things are synonymous. But 
there is not the slightest reference made to water in any form 
whatever. They and their children were promised certain 
things. They were urged to repent that they might come into 
the promise. The terms of the promise were that the Holy 
Ghost should be poured out in the last days, and that under its 
mighty inspiration their sons and daughters should prophesy 



50 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

and dream dreams and see visions, etc. Christ calls this a bap- 
tism of the Holy Ghost. It was such. It came upon them. 
They experienced all that had been promised, and it was called 
baptism by both Christ and Peter. Was it so, or must they 
have the element of earthly water applied to them in some form 
before the work could be fully complete, in order that the erro- 
neous conception of some might be fulfilled? There certainly 
can be but one answer to all this, and that is that water had no 
place nor part in the notable occurrences of that day. And this 
is the question which has been vexing and dividing the church 
thus far! Is it nof time to lay aside all such foolish conceptions 
and step out into the broad and clear light of the gospel? It 
would certainly seem so. The question as to whether sprinkling, 
pouring or immersion is the only proper mode of baptism ought 
forever to be laid aside inasmuch as it is surely made manifest 
that neither one nor all of these is correct. But the baptism of 
the Divine Spirit is the one all important matter and the only 
one which should concern us. To say that any other concep- 
tion is simply nonsense is putting it mildly. I believe it to be a 
sin, and I have not the slightest hesitancy in declaring 
and challenging proof to the contrary — that water is not 
the thing spoken of when baptism is said to have occurred, 
either in prophecy or in fact. Joel, as I have shown, 
most distinctly points out both the element, and the particular 
results which were to follow its administration, as already 
quoted. Christ most emphatically states the baptism of that 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 51 

day and time to be the work of the Holy Ghost. John, the 
Baptist, in looking forward to that day and time, and to that 
which occurred speaks of it as being the work of the Holy 
Ghost, previously saying, " I indeed baptize you with water 
but, etc," The very term " but " is significant- of another 
baptism of an entirely different character. The Master repeats 
the statement using this very significant word but. Peter, as we 
have seen, makes this scene the fulfillment of both the prophecy 
of Joel and that of Jesus and in none of these is the term water 
mentioned except to repudiate it as the element used at the 
time of which we are speaking. What sane person can after all 
this mass of evidence still continue to think that water is the 
thing talked about as being the fulfillment of the term baptise? 
If water baptism was to be anywhere inaugurated as the one 
essential thing and to be forever stamped upon the mind of man 
as a divinely appointed ordinance, in and through which man- 
kind was to be saved, no better or more suitable place or time 
could be chosen for the promulgation of the fact than on this, 
the very first public occasion, when the doors of the church first 
swung open (so to speak) to receive the ingathering thousands, 
and there to have so impressed the absolute necessity of water 
baptism as that a misunderstanding would be impossible. 
But instead of doing so, this splendid opportunity is allowed 
to pass without even mentioning the fact of water in any 
form whatever, while at the same time, they were passing 
through the most remarkable experience ever vouchsafed to the 



52 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

church, and to which it would ever recur as establishing that 
which was to be considered essential to reception into the Chris- 
tian church. This is simply astounding in view of the great 
ado made about water baptism in some quarters. We find here 
spoken of and thus emphasized, repentance, faith, gladness of 
reception of the word on the part of the people, the pouring out 
of the Spirit, the fact that it appeared as "cloven tongues of 
fire and sat upon each of them," the fact that they " all spoke 
with tongues," that they were all in one place with one accord," 
the shaking of the building, the fact that they were sitting in- 
stead of standing, the " sound of the mighty, rushing wind," 
the fact that it "filled the house," the fact of Peter's preaching 
to the people, their anxious inquiry together with the answer, 
in fact every possible detail of the slightest importance con- 
nected with the event seems to have been referred to. But this 
one, most important of all, seems to have passed without 
notice. Is this not very remarkable? Yes on any other suppo- 
sition than that nothing of the kind (viz: mater baptism) was 
engaged in. But not at all so if the writer was simply giving an 
account of that which actually occurred. And as water bap- 
tism was not among the occurrences of that day it is hard to see 
how the matter could have been referred to unless the account 
was untruthfully made. But fortunately for the world the 
account is no doubt correct. And although it does not say that 
they were all sprinkled, ox poured, ox immersed, or water applied 
to them in any form, it does say they were all baptized with the 



CHRISTIAN BAPTIMS. 53 

Holy Ghost and spoke with tongues, as the Spirit gave them 
utterance. And that none of those things which did not occur 
could have any place in a Divinity inspired narrative of that which 
did occur, ought not to be a matter of any very great surprise. 
But let us proceed, following closely the acts of the Apostles, to 
see if anywhere else the matter of water is referred to as being 
that in which the Apostles themselves engaged, or that the use 
of which they sanctioned, or whether in any way they gave it 
to be understood the baptism talked about was that of water. 
Their mission from this time forward was to " baptize the 
nations," and if water was the thing talked about, we will now 
find them engaging in its administration. 

The next incident to which our attention is called is that of 
the man, "lame from his mother's womb, whom Peter and John 
healed (or baptized) as they were going up into the temple to 
pray." This miracle created quite a sensation, being the first 
instance of healing recorded in which the disciples put to the 
test the wonderous powers so recently conferred upon them by 
the out-pouring of the Holv Ghost, on the day of Pentecost. 
Was this which we now find the Apostles engaged in any part 
of that which naturally inheres in baptism ? Peter and John 
being taken to task or arrested because of this act took occasion 
to exhort the people and to preach to them the gospel. Ex- 
horting them to repent and to be converted that "their sins 
might be Washed away when the time of refreshing should 
come from the presence of the Lord " * * * and further 



54 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

on we find that many of those who heard the word thus 
preached, believed, to the number of about five thousand. 
After being arrested and on the next day having another oppor- 
tunity to speak, and being filled with the Holy Ghost, they 
preached again Jesus and the resurrection, and after assembling 
together with others "they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, 
and spoke the word of God with boldness." Here we find a 
narrative, minute in many of its details, recounting scenes and 
incidents running through quite a length of time, and while we 
find, as before, repentance, conversion, belief and prayer, and 
the filling with the Holy Ghost even of the entire company of 
those that believed, all spoken of and thus again emphasized, 
we find not one word about the great importance of water 
baptism, not even a hint as to its having been at all administered, 
although we are given to understand that the whole company 
of those who believed were " added to the Church. " How 
very remarkable, is it not ? Baptism of the Holy Ghost is 
everywhere emphasized, but nothing about water. And again 
we feel warranted in saying that if -water baptism was at all 
included in the great commission so recently given themfthey 
were sadly neglecting their Divine instructions. But let us look 
still farther. It may be that elsewhere we will find them more 
true to their Divine commission. 

In the 5th chapter of Acts after particularly describing the 
death of Ananias, it is stated [see 12th verse] " That by the 
hands of the Apostles were many signs and wonders wrought 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 55 

and believers were the more added to the Lord, 



multitudes both of men and women, insomuch that they 
brought forth their sick into the street and laid them on beds 
and couches that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might 
over-shadow some of them. Then came also a multitude out 
of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, 
and those who were vexed with unclean spirits and they were 
healed (or baptized) every one. Here we find the Apostles 
doing just what their great Master had done before them, during 
His three years of active ministry on earth. Indeed this seems 
to be but a continuation of that which He declared His mission 
to be, and which was also that which the Prophets had marked 
out as the work in which he was to be engaged. " The Spirit 
of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath sent Me to preach 
deliverance to the captive, the recovering of sight to the blind, 
to unstop the deaf ears, etc. " We, therefore, find Him " Heal- 
ing the sick, cleansing the lepers, raising the dead, casting t)ut 
devils, etc." We also find that while He was yet with them in 
life, calling His disciples to Him, He sent them forth upon the 
very same work in which we now find them engaged, except 
that they were restricted by " Go not into the way of the 
Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not. But 
go ye rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as ye 
go, preach saying the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. Heal the 
sick, dc " We are given to understand that He did what He 
did by the " Finger of God " which was nothing else than this 



56 christian baptism. 

same Holy Ghost, and His rebuke to those who attributed His 
power to the devil was that they uttered blasphemy against not 
Himself but the Holy Ghost. Clearly showing as is everywhere 
else manifest that He did what H a did through the power of 
the Holy Ghost with which He was so wonderously endowed 
upon the banks of the Jordan in the very beginning of His 
ministry. This was the true baptism with which He, Himself, 
was baptized, and which He promisedto Hisdisciples and which 
was to "remain with them always, even the Spirit of truth which 
proceedeth from the Father." Is it not strange that we here find 
the disciples continually engaged in the same work in which 
their Master spent His time, and which they also took part in 
while He was yet on earth, continuing it day after day, doing 
everything according to both His former and latter command, 
and yet among all the thousands who are said to have turned 
to God and attached themselves to His people, not one single 
instance is recorded, in the slightest manner going to show that 
water baptism was ever required of, or administered to anyone, 
anywhere, either by Christ or any of His Apostles ? But let us 
proceed. 

We find that being enraged at the Disciples the rulers again 
caused them to be arrested, but being delivered by the Angel of 
the Lord they were commanded to go and stand in the temple 
and speak all (mark you all) the words of this life. [Or of 
the way of salvation through the Gospel of Christ.] And we 
are informed that they did so, "speaking daily in the temple and 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 57 

in every house they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus 
Christ, the Holy Ghost bearing them witness." Here again we 
have a lengthy survey of the daily life of the Apostles extend- 
ing through quite a period of time in which multitudes are said 
to have embraced the gospel, to their salvation, and yet among 
all the instruction given, and all the work accomplished, no men- 
tion is made of water. And again we say: "How exceedingly 
strange." 

But again we proceed, and now we find certain minor ques- 
tions coming to the front, such as the equal distribution of the 
needed, daily portion of food. Among those chosen to this 
work we find Stephen and Philip. But the Apostles, we are 
told, thought it to be incumbent on themselves "to give them- 
selves continuously to prayer and to the ministering of the 
Word," and this they did. And again water fails to elicit even 
a passing notice, but the men chosen for this work are most 
particularly stated to have been "Full of the Holy Ghost," bap- 
tised. One of these, viz: Stephen is the next person brought 
forward whose acts and utterances are thought worthy of record 
by the inspired writer. In his preaching we find the following: 
"A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up like unto me. 
Him shall ye hear" * * * And after citing them to their 
privileges and also to their sins, he addressed them thus: "Ye 
stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart, ye do always resist the 
Holy Ghost. As you your fathers did so do ye." Resisting 
the Holy Ghost was the sin of their fathers, which is also said to 



58 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

be their present sin. They were said to be uncircumcised ni 
heart. It was not that they were so in the flesh but in heart. 
It was not that they resisted circumcision in the flesh. They 
had all no doubt been circumcised that way. But. circumcision 
was no more an affair of the flesh than is baptism, as we shall 
shortly see. But I have quoted this passage not so much to 
prove this fact as to show that another opportunity for declar- 
ing and enforcing the very great importance of water baptism 
has been allowed to pass without in anyway referring to it. And 
ihat, too, when the essentials of the Gospel message are sup- 
posed to have been fully set forth. 

We now learn that a great persecution of the church arose 
and that the company of Disciples were all scattered abroad 
"except the Apostles." One of those who was thus driven out 
of Jerusalem was Philip, the fellow -servant of Stephen, whose 
martyrdom was the occasion of their flight from Jerusalem. It 
is stated that Philip went down to Samaria and preached Christ 
to the Samaritans or "to that city," "healing the sick, Casting 
out devils," and no doubt healing all manner of sickness among 
the people inasmuch as "there was great joy in that city." And 
when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the 
"Kingdom of God" and the name of Jesus Christ, they were 
baptized or healed "both men and women." We here see the 
natural order of Christ's command to His disciples fully main- 
tained. First preaching, second baptism or believing. But 
here as elsewhere there is no indication that water had any place 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 59 

in the matter, although it may be conceded that it might have 
in this instance been made to serve some part because that Philip 
seems to have been ignorant of any other baptism than that of 
John, and inasmuch as John's baptism was in some way, as 
we have seen, accompanied by water, it would not be surpris- 
ing if Philip's baptism was of like character to that* of John's. 
That he had not the power in that he was not an Apostle to 
impart the Holy Ghost is clearly evident. The likelihood is that 
Philip only preached and healed in the name of Christ and that 
this healing was termed baptism. Be that as it may, we know 
that he did not impart the full baptism of Christ, viz.: Holy 
Ghost baptism, as the incidents that follow will clearly establish. 
There was a man in Samaria by the name of Simon, known as 
a sorcerer. He hearing the gospel preached no doubt also had 
the evil spirit which possessed him driven out. He being thus 
healed is very properly said to have been baptized. That this bap- 
tism was only mental or bodily healing, and not soul purification is 
evident from the following circumstances: "Now when the 
Apostles heard that Samaria had received the word of God, 
they sent unto them Peter and John, who when they were come 
down prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Gost 
[for as yet he had fallen upon none of them, only they had been 
baptized (healed) in the name of the Lord Jesus.] Then laid 
they their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost. 
And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the 
Apostle's hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them 



60 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

money, saying: Give me also this power that on whomsoever 
I lay my hands he may receive the Holy Gost. But Peter said 
unto him. " Thy money perish with thee because thou hast 
thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. 
Thou has neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not 
right in the sight of God. * * * Repent for I perceive thou art 
yet in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." Here again 
as in all other cases the word, or gospel is first preached, or as 
it is put "Preaching the things concerning the kingdom" and 
"healing the people and doing many signs and miracles." We 
learn that as the people were brought to believe the preaching 
of Philip that they came and were baptized, cleansed, healed just 
as the people were who had before come to the Master. That 
this healing of the people was a baptism is abundantly substan- 
tiated by other passages of scripture. That it was not baptism 
in the full sense of the word is evident for the following reason: 
We find that, as in the case of the Eunuch, while Philip no doubt 
had power and the commission to heal, he had not the power 
to fully cleanse, from the fact that when this was accomplished 
Peter and John (Apostles) came to Samaria for this purpose, 
and found at least one who had been made the subject of 
Philip's healing not yet prepared. "His heart was not yet right 
in the sight of God" and hence as yet he still remained in "the 
gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity, unbapti^ed in the 
true sense. I perceive, saieth Peter. How did Peter perceive 
this. The argument is this. Simon by his request made, viz: 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 61 

"Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hands, 
he may receive the Holy Gost" revealed to Peter a condition of 
heart wholly impossible to a person fully cleansed. The re- 
quest was evidently not made with a righteous motive and 
hence its denial. And yet it is said that this same man had been 
previously baptised under Philip. It is really immaterial to the 
argument whether we hold the baptism here spoken of as being 
John's baptism, or simply the baptism of healing. It was not in 
either case the baptism upon which "eternal life" was predicated. 
That it was baptism for the remission of sins mav be true, but 
if so it must have been mixed with both faith and repentance, 
both of which seems to be lacking. But whatever it was there is 
not the slightest evidence that it was water baptism, and this in- 
stance cannot be made to establish that theory. That there is such 
a thing as repentance, belief and even purging from the old sin, 
yea physical healing, which to the extent to which it operates 
may be entitled to the term baptism, as a partial work, is that 
which is to-day a universal experience among those who care to 
look around them. Thousands and multiplied thousands of the 
race, experience religion to this extent, who never know any- 
thing about the renewing of the Holy Ghost and who are, hence, 
not fully baptised. This is true of the baptism of those who 
were baptized under or in Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses and 
John, and the same holds good of many who were informed 
of the great salvation through Christ Jesus. But that a man is 
not baptized into Christ until he has put on Christ and been 



62 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

endued with the Divine Spirit is true. It is true indeed that the 
preaching of the Gospel of Christ when received in faith, always 
results in repentance and conversion and the remission of all 
previous sins, and hence it is to that extent a cleansing or 
baptism. But this is by no means the ultimate. It is not only 
necessary that all past sins should be washed away or blotted 
out, but there must be the " refreshing which comes from the 
presence of the Lord and from the Glory of His power." It is 
not enough that we be separated from the old, we must enter 
upon the new. Putting off the old man with his deeds is all 
right, and that which must be, but this alone is entirely inade- 
quate, and by no means should be counted as in any way being 
synonymous with complete baptism into Christ, or equivalent 
to salvation, for it is not. We must most assuredly " put on 
Christ." That this was just where Simon, the sorcerer, lacked, 
is evident. He had been healed, baptized or cleansed as I have 
said, but the putting on of the New Man, was something of 
which he had as yet no experience. While the preliminary 
work had been performed upon him, it is distinctly stated that 
the Holy Ghost had not as yet fallen upon any of them. This 
explains the whole situation not only with reference to Simon, 
but with reference to all those who to all appearances make a 
good start towards the better life. They stumble " at this 
stumbling stone," and the stumbling is a fatal one. Millions 
have made shipwrecks of their faith here, as did Simon. I mean 
that not understanding the terms of the gospel they were not 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 6} 

impressed with the necessity of the indwelling Christ. They 
do not seem to understand that to have Christ formed within is 
the only " hope of Glory." And that a baptism which comes 
short of this is not the baptism commanded, or which is the 
result held to be of so great importance, and must not be con- 
founded with that entire purification which the. Christ was, 
according to prophecy, to accomplish for mankind through the 
operation of the Holy Ghost. That repentance, faith and the 
remission of sins are all essential prerequisites to the out -pouring 
of the Divine Spirit is true and that there can be no indwelling 
Christ without these is everywhere taught, but because these have 
transpired it is not absolute assurance that the other will surely 
follow, and hence there are always found those, who, going no 
farther than the first preparatory cleansing, are soon found return- 
ing "like the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire."' 
And this passage which we have been considering is perhaps the 
very first Scripture illustration of such a possibility, which is 
perhaps even more fully set forth in these words: "When the 
unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walketh through dry 
places, seeking rest and findeth none. Then saith he to himself 
" I will return into my house from whence I came out,- and 
when he returns he finds it swept and garnished. Then he 
goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than 
himself and they enter in and dwell there and the last state of 
that man is worse than the first." These with other passages 
but show the entire possibility of "failing of the grace of God " 



64 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

as it is in Christ Jesus our Lord. This is exactly that which 
happened to this man. The evil spirit had been driven out; the 
sorcerer was such no longer; the way had been prepared for 
better occupancy; but the Christ had not entered the heart to its 
ultimate and everlasting cleansing. Therefore, it was that his 
heart was not right and for this reason the Holy Ghost had not 
been poured out. But as I have already said, whatever else is 
here enjoined or recorded nothing whatever is said of water 
baptism. We are left without any absolute knowledge of its 
having had any part in the wondrous occurrences of that time. 
And the account closes with this statement " that having wit- 
nessed for Christ by preaching the word in Samaria" Peter and 
John returned to Jerusalem, having fulfilled the terms of their 
great commission, as they had understood its provisions and 
according to their interpretation thereof, by preaching the word, 
healing the sick, and making those who gladly receive the word 
subjects of the Holy Spirit's influence. Or as it is stated " Who 
prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost, for as 
yet He had fallen upon none of them." And all of this without 
a single instance of water baptism having been recorded. 

THE BAPTISM OF THE EUNUCH. 

The next passage which occurs may possibly be made to 
substantiate the water baptism theory, at least in the minds of 
those who are not, and will not be satisfied unless water baptism 
is made to stand forth somewhere. The story has to do 
with this same Philip of whom we have been speaking, and of 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 65 

whom we affirmed that he was not an Apostle. The story is 
usually designated as that of "Philip and the Eunuch," and re- 
counts the falling in of Philip with the Eunuch under the direc- 
tion of the Spirit, mentioning many things, of interest to the 
thoughtful observer, amongst which is the baptism of the 
Eunuch by Philip. That this is a passage relied upon very much 
by those especially who favor immersion as the only mode of 
baptism need not be dwelt upon, it will be conceded. And yet 
how the matter of immersion can be established from this 
incident is beyond conception. This incident may, however, 
be relied upon as establishing the fact that there were those 
preaching the Gospel who had not as yet been endued with the 
Holy Ghost in such measure as to be able to impart it in all of 
its fullness. We have already seen that this Philip was one of 
these. The imparting of the Holy Ghost does not seem to have 
been one of the duties that he was called upon to perform. 
That he was privileged to preach the word, and to heal the sick 
is declared. We will be very likely to remain in ignorance of 
the character of the baptism or work performed upon this man 
by Philip, unless we stop to consider the character of his 
uncleanness. This is all expressed in the one statement that he 
was a Eunuch and in all probability a slave as well. It has been 
just stated, that Philip was possessed with power to heal, and 
that he healed many in Samaria. This man, the Eunuch, like 
Naman, the Syrian, of whom we have before spoken, was 
afflicted in such a way, that under the old Jewish or ceremonial 



66 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

law he was entirely cut off from all participation in or hope of 
salvation. Naman's healing was called a baptism as we have 
seen. That it was performed as were all the ba p tisms of the 
olden time, through the instrumentality of water (which was a 
figure of the true) is that which is not to be denied. That this 
man, the Eunuch, had performed for him a wonderous healing, 
which, as in the case of Naman, was called a baptism is all that 
is declared. That it was Christian baptism is no more true than 
that Naman, the Syrian, received Christian baptism. Christian 
baptism being as we have seen the baptism peculiar to Christ, 
viz: the "Holy Ghost" baptism. I do not mean to say that 
the healing here performed by Philip was not under the direction 
of the Holy Spirit and was not a work of the Spirit. It was 
even as was Naman's. I only assert that the baptism of healing 
here performed was more along the line of the baptism of the 
olden time, than of the new, and this, notwithstanding the 
Gospel of Christ, was first preached by Philip to this person. 
The circumstance is this: Philip, a Jew; the Eunuch, a Jew; 
both familiar with the Jewish ceremony of cleansing or healing. 
It was the most natural thing in the world that whatever of 
ceremony was entered into should be after the order of purifica- 
tion peculiar to the Jews. And as this is known to be that into 
which water frequently entered in some form, symbolically or oth- 
erwise, it was impossible that the healing here performed should 
be performed in any other way than as was customary under the 
Jewish ceremonial law in such cases. So that if we understand 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 67 

just how these were performed, we have almost all the assurance 
necessary to declare the character of the baptism here engaged 
in. The water would by no means stand a bar to the full con- 
summation of the healing. It was not a factor in the healing 
which then transpired. It had nothing whatever to do with it. 
Had it been left out entirely the result would have been the 
same. The terms of the commission would have been fully met 
had there been no water in the whole matter. What was 
necessary was the power of the Lord present to heal. That 
being there, the faith and desire upon the part of the Eunuch 
was all that was necessary to the accomplishment of the great 
desire of his heart. There is not the slightest doubt but had the 
operation been attempted while the two were yet in the chariot 
the same result would have been attained. It is just so to-day. 
One man receives the blessing of sins forgiven at what is known 
as the mourners'' bench, another at the home, another while on 
a journey flying over the country in a railroad car, or across the 
sea on board a steamship, or elsewhere. It matters not. The 
repentant soul and the trustful heart in conjunction with the 
word of Divine Truth and all under the control of the Holy 
Spirit will assuredly produce the desired results, as if any or all 
of the outward forms, which we have ever thought of, were 
invoked as a supposed aid in such matters. It matters not that 
one person is poured, another sprinkled, another immersed, 
another for conscience sake submits to the doctrine of foot 
washing, and still another chooses to be immersed thrice back- 



68 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

wards or forwards as the case may be. These all being miscon- 
ceptions, as they are, are still not allowed to stand a bar to the 
honest soul's ultimate and highest good. Nay, though all of 
these are discarded (as they are by many of the most Godly) 
is there yet a with-holding of the Holy Ghost ? All of which 
it would seem ought to be sufficient evidence that none of these 
things go in any measure to make up the sum total of that 
which inheres in the Scriptural term "Baptism," or in the terms 
of the great commission: "Go ye into all the world and 
preach the gospel to every creature. He that beiieveth and is 
baptized shall be saved, and he that beiieveth not shall be 
condemned." That there were many of the rites and cere- 
monies of the Jewish church adhered to by those who came out 
of that church into the Christian church is not to be wondered 
at. It is in evidence that both Peter and Paul were influenced 
in this regard. The latter even going so far as to have Timothy 
circumcised in deference to old customs and Peter refusing to 
eat with the Gentiles on a certain occasion because of the 
prejudice which he would have to encounter by so doing. I 
only mention these things to show how natural was the 
position Philip took in associating water with the ceremony of 
healing even under the Christian dispensation, not having as yet 
been shown that these things had now no farther part or place 
in the plan of the gospel and that which was once significant of 
cleansing had now lost its significance, He being now come who 
was the fulfillment of all prophecy and all shadow. This is 



CHRISTIAN BAPTIMS. 69 

not to be wondered at inasmuch as we find that even 
Peter was as yet ignorant of much that naturally 
inhered in the great commission which Christ had com- 
mitted unto them. That Philip may have caused the Eunuch 
to have come down to the water, and to have even 
passed through it, as did the multitudes of Israel under Moses, 
and later again under John's baptism, may be true. Indeed it 
is quite likely that something of the kind occurred, but that ail 
of this had anything to do With Christian baptism, or that it is 
involved in the terms of the commission under which the dis- 
ciples were then acting, cannot be shown. The only way that 
such an assumption could at all be maintained or foisted upon 
the church as a practice to be perpetuated, would be to show that 
not only Philip but all the Apostles and all others who went out 
to promulgate the then new religion, should be found following 
the same course, and scrupulously adhering to the same things. 
For it cannot but be admitted that all of the Apostles fulfilled 
the necessary requirements involved in the command of Jesus 
to them. But instead of this, this is the only place spoken of 
in all the incidents recorded of all the acts of the Apostles and 
others who were sharers in the great events of those times 
where water is even mentioned in connection with the healings, 
cleansings or baptism then performed. And when we consider 
that this is under the superiniendance of one not an Apostle, and 
that the subject was a Jew, as well as the operator, full no doubt 
of all the prejudices and in favor of all the forms and cere- 



70 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

monies incident to that time, it is difficult to see how that their 
conception or practice should be erected into such prominence 
as an ordinance binding upon the church in all ages. The doc- 
trine of foot washing so thoroughly repudiated by the very per- 
sons who are such sticklers upon this subject has infinitely more 
of authority in Scripture than this. Even the right of circum- 
cision has higher authority for its continuance as an ordinance 
in the church than has this, inasmuch as Christ and all of his 
apostles were no doubt circumcised. Paul, as I have said, at one 
time caused the rite to be performed upon one who was about 
to enter upon the work of the Gospel, viz., Timothy. Our 
argument is this. If water is to be found anywhere as an ele- 
ment entering in any way into the administration of baptism or 
in any way inhering in it, it must be found in the commission 
itself, and if not found in the commission, and especially if not 
found to be the practice of those to whom the command was 
first given, then it cannot be surely found elsewhere. If the 
Apostles themselves were not always kept from error of conduct 
as to that which was essential and if Paul and Peter thought 
differently as to the right of the circumcised eating with the 
uncircumcised, and if there were those who in their zeal for the 
law of Moses and the ordinances administered after the manner 
commanded in the ceremonial law, who thought to engraft these 
as ordinances binding upon the church in all ages, even this is 
not to be wondered at, nor is it to be made the excuse for now 
seeking to incorporate into the present practice of the church 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 71 

those things not commanded by the Master, nor which were en- 
dorsed by the common practice of the Apostles. We will learn 
farther on how that even Peter was through miraculous inter- 
position induced to do much that because of inhering prejudice 
he had previously refrained from doing, even although the com- 
mand to do so was clearly set forth in the terms of the commis- 
sion given him by the Master. Someone might with equal pro- 
priety and equal authority arise and teach that because the 
Apostles had up to this time, yea even beyond this time, care- 
fully withheld the preaching of the Gospel from all but Jews, 
and systematically excluded the Gentiles from any participation 
in the ordinances of the church, (baptism included) that there- 
fore all Gentiles are forever to remain outside the Christian 
church, and are not to be made ''partakers with the saints and 
of the household of faith." Would this be a ridiculous position? 
Certainly, and yet I undertake to say that such a position is no 
more untenable than the one which would assume that because 
one individual thought the administration of cleansing under the 
gospel was to be accompanied by the forms and ceremonies 
prescribed by the Jewish ceremonial law, that therefore this pre- 
cedent must be strictly adhered to for all time, notwithstanding 
the fact that those in authority (viz: Christ and His Apostles) 
neither commanded the same, nor yet were ever known to have 
engaged in the practice themselves, but on the contrary every- 
where repudiated the old law as a thing no longer in force and 
not to be imposed upon the church. The character of their 



72 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

utterances upon this matter show clearly that the old law was 
thought by many to be still operative. So warm indeed did 
this discussion become that at one time it threatened to disrupt 
the early church. But a special council having been called of 
all the brethren to discuss the matter, and the Holy Ghost hav- 
ing been called upon to decide the dispute, it was decided, and 
the decision given in these words: "And certain men which 
came down from Judea taught the brethren and said except ye 
be circumcised after the law of Moses ye cannot be saved." 
(Much of the same character of statement you will perceive that 
is made in certain quarters today with reference to water bap- 
tism.) When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dis- 
cussion and disputing with them, they determined that Paul and 
Barnabas and certain others with them should go up to Jerusa- 
lem unto the Apostles and Elders about this question * * * * 
For there arose certain of the sect of the Pharisees which be- 
lieved, saying that it was needful to be circumcised and to keep 
the law of Moses. And the Apostles and Elders came together 
to consider this matter. * * * 22nd verse, and when it 
seemed good to the Apostles and Elders, with the whole church 
to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with 
Paul and Barnabas. * * * * And they wrote letters by 
them after this manner: "Forasmuch as we have heard that 
certain which went out from us troubled you with words, sub- 
verting your souls, saying, ye must be circumcised and keep the 
law, to whom we gave no such commandment. * * * * Foi 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 73 

it seemed good to us and to the Holy Ghost to lay no greater 
burden upon you, etc." We here find the whole matter forever 
set at rest, or least it would have been, and ought to have been, 
had not someone thought it to be of sufficient value to resurrect 
and what a sorry resurrection it was and is? Paul says of those 
who kept the church in a ferment then, as the same character 
of persons are and always have been doing, "I would that they 
were even cut off that trouble you." This expression "cut off" 
referring to their everlasting disputing as to extent of mutilation 
necessary in what might be true circumcision. This discussion 
going so far in some cases as to cause some weak minded per- 
sons to make eunuchs of themselves in the vain thought that 
the kingdom of heaven lay along that line. If there be, thought 
they, any doubt about the matter it could all be certainly ful- 
filled by this extreme of self-mutilation. Hence we find this 
remark in Scripture: "Some make themselves eunuchs for the 
kingdom of heaven's sake," referring directly to this practice of 
complete severance of the parts in the vain thought that in 
this way they would be sure to be within the provisions of the 
covenant made by God with their father Abraham, and stand in 
no danger of failure, because that it might be held that the or- 
dinance contemplated a greater and more extended operation 
than had been performed upon them, and that hence their salva- 
tion would be imperiled. And thus we have the vain endeavor 
by some in that time under a false conception of the significance 
of the rite, or of the meaning of the term used to describe it, 



74 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

seeking through self-mutilation to fulfill a law that most bitterly 
condemned the practice and which most emphatically stated that 
any person guilty in this regard, or wounded in this particular, 
"should not enter into the congregation of the Lord." Not 
knowing that the circumcision talked about and so emphatically 
insisted upon by God could not be fulfilled in the outward at 
all, any more than the rite of baptism. Not until we hear Paul 
define the significance of the term do even we of this day un- 
derstand that the word circumcise is a word which does not refer 
to the outward or fleshy man, but to the heart and spirit. 
Listen: "He is not a Jew who is one outwardly. Neither is 
that circumcision which is outward and in the flesh. But he is 
a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, 
in spirit and not in letter, whose praise (or operation) is not of 
man but of God." Here we have the whole matter set fully at 
rest. Religion, Christianity, whether spoken of under the title 
of circumcision or baptism is after all an affair of the heart, and 
is not based upon the outward performance of any specified rite 
or ceremony. It is indeed just what we might have expected it 
to be in view of its author. But we will see more of this as the 
orther passages incident to this discussion come up. 
PAUL'S BAPTISM. 
The conversion and baptism of the Apostle Paul furnishes us 
with another marked illustration of that which is involved in 
the term baptism. When one Ananias was sent to Paul to 
direct him in that which it was necessary for him to do in order 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 75 

to fulfill God's purpose, he announced his message to him in 
these words: " Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who 
appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest, hath sent me 
that thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy 
Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as if it had 
been scales and he received his sight forthwith and arose and 
was baptised." To this must be added Paul's own account of 
the same transaction as given in Acts 22:12: "And one 
Ananias came unto me and stood and said unto me : Brother 
Saul receive thy sight, and the same hour I looked up upon him 
* * * and he said: 'And now why tarry est thou (or why 
do you linger.) Arise and be baptised and wash away thy sins, 
calling upon His name ' " (or attaching thyself to His name,) 
That much more than is stated in both of these passages trans- 
pired, is indicated as once again Paul refers to that occurance 
and to the scenes through which he at that time passed, as he 
stood before Felix, Agrippa and Festus, Acts 26th. But let us- 
analyze the two statements already quoted. No one will be 
likely to dispute the fact that that which Ananias was sent to 
perform was that which actually transpired, or in other words 
that which occurred was that which was contemplated, and that 
which Ananias was instructed to perform. What was it Ananias 
was instructed to perform ? " The Lord * * * hath sent 
me" (now mark) 1st, "that thou mightest receive thy sight"' 
2d, "and be filled with the Holy Ghost." Now mark closely 
what followed for it must have been an exact fulfillment of that: 



76 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

which was contemplated. 1st, "And immediately there fell 
from his eyes as if it had been scales and he received his sight 
forthwith." This is simply the exact fulfillment of that which 
was contemplated in the first count. Let us now look at the 
second statement to see whether or not the promised "filled with 
the Holy Ghost " also transpired. And we look in vain for a 
statement of the fulfillment of this apparently most important 
transaction. No Holy Ghost was at all given, at least the 
account is absolutely silent upon the subject. If it was given, as 
we have a right to suppose from the previous statement that it 
would be, by some strange chance the inspired penman, for some 
unaccountable reason, has failed to make a note of it. This is, 
to say the least, exceedingly strange. But let us look again, and 
more closely. We find that there was another occurrence than 
the recovering of sight. Is it possible that what is said to have 
occurred is after all synonymous with that which it was declared 
should transpire ? Let us see. He was to " receive his sight 
and be filled with the Holy Ghost." It is declared that he did 
receive his sight " and arose and was baptised." What, is 
baptism and being filled with the Holy Ghost one and the same 
thing? This is just what we have been contending for, and 
here it is most emphatically set forth in such language as to 
admit of no other conception. Not one word said about 
baptism in the first instance, and not one word said about the 
Holy Ghost in the last. But the Holy Ghost was the thing 
promised and baptism was the thing experienced as the fulfill- 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 77 

ment of that which was promised. Was it ? Certainly it was 
and no man who is at all honest can deny it. Could anything 
be more significant of the oneness of baptism and the filling of 
the Holy Ghost than this ? And we begin to understand the 
Scriptures more perfectly when they declare that the spirit, the 
water, and the blood are one, or agree in one. 

THE BAPTISM OF CORNELIUS AND HIS HOUSEHOLD. 

Another instance of Scripture baptism is that which is said 
to have transpired at the home of Cornelius of Caeserae. The 
preliminary circumstances leading up to this remarkable occur- 
rence are given in such a minutiae of detail as to leave no doubt 
that a great and important truth is about to be revealed. The 
fact is that the time had now come in which the Gentile world 
was to be offered the Grace of God and salvation through the 
name of Jesus Christ the Lord. For, notwithstanding, the 
command of Christ "Go ye into all the world and preach the 
gospel to every creature, etc.," the Gentile world, as has been 
previously stated, had as yet not had the gospel declared unto 
it and this because of the Jewish prejudice still clinging to the 
Disciples. They were slow to apprehend the design and 
purpose of God with reference to the Gentiles. They could 
not be made to see salvation for the Gentiles in the terms of the 
commission, notwithstanding its broadness of utterance. That 
they could not, but shows how deep seated was their prejudice and 
ignorace of the character of the Master and how little they knew 
of His mighty purpose in coming into the world. To remove 



78 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

this deep-seated prejudice, and to instruct the world and 
especially the Disciples through Peter, as to that which the terms 
of the commission enjoined, two mighty miracles had to be 
performed in the very sight of Peter and others of the circum- 
cision, e'er the truth was either apprehended or declared. It 
was altogether a remarkable scene and one well worthy of our 
most careful study. Peter at Joppa, Cornelius at Caeserea, and 
both subject to the influence of the Holy Ghost, so that the 
lesson about to be learned should have an abiding effect upon both 
Jew and Gentile. As Peter, having been prepared by the vision 
referred to, entered the home of Cornelius and having been ap- 
prised of the character of the mission which he had been sent to 
perform, he at once perceived that God was in the matter. And 
as he preached the word to all those who were there assembled 
(thus fulfilling the first specification of the commission), and as 
he began to speak, or while he was yet speaking, the Holy 
Ghost fell upon all who heard the word, fulfilling the last count 
of the commission, viz : baptizing them into the name, na- 
ture, or character of the Father, etc. Here the amazement of 
those who came with Peter from Joppa found expression, and 
well it might. Here right befoie them was the evidence that the 
Gentiles were to have a part in the great salvation. No such 
thought had ever for a single moment entered their minds, and 
notwithstanding they were not yet ready to accept the truth in 
all its fullness, it was yet so apparent that they were forced to 
concur in the matter. Peter's account of this is interesting and 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 79 

shows this to be the very first case transpiring in which the 
Gentiles were admitted to the privileges and blessings of Chris- 
tianity. " When Peter was come up to Jerusalem they that 
were of the circumcision contended with him, saying : " Thou 
wentest in unto men uncircumcised and did eat with them." 
But Peter rehearsed the matter to them from the beginning and 
expounded it in order unto them. ***** u And as I 
began to speak the Holly Ghost fell on them as on us at the be- 
ginning. Then remembered 1 the words of the Lord how he 
said John indeed baptised you with water, but ye shall be bap- 
tised with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave unto 
them the like gift as he did unto us who believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand God ? When 
they heard these things they held their peace and glorified God 
saying, then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance 
unto life." Again we have this same matter referred to at the 
time, already mentioned, of the reception of the Gentiles into 
the church without having the outward ordinance of circumcis- 
ion performed upon them. The accounts at this time given in 
Acts 15th, varies but little from the one already given, but it is 
necessary to note the following in verse 8th : "And God which 
knoweth the hearts bear them witness giving them the Holy 
Ghost, even as he did unto us, and put no difference between 
them and us (purifying their hearts by faith, etc.)," or in other 
words baptising them. We have in all this much that will 
substantiate what has already been said upon this subject. Let 



80 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

us, therefore, examine it carefully. We find indeed that there 
are "diversities of operation but the same God." In connection 
with the occurrences in Samaria the laying on of the Apostle's 
hands seems 'to have been customary ere the Holy Ghost was 
given and thus complete baptism effected. But here nothing of 
the kind transpires. Indeed the outpouring of the Holy Ghost 
seems to have been entirely unlooked for by all, even Peter 
himself. The Likelihood is that if the outpouring of the 
Holy Ghost upon these Gentiles had depended upon the laying 
on of the hands of Peter, the occurrences of that day would 
never have transpired, or at least another miracle would have 
been required to have convinced Peter what the purpose of God 
really was. His prejudice would never in any other way have 
been so overcome as to have allowed him to lend himself to a 
thing so at variance with all his preconceived notions of this 
matter. And this, as I have said, notwithstanding the very 
plain instruction upon this very subject inhering in the com- 
mission under which Peter was at this time operating, and also 
the very definite statement of the Master, which now for the 
first time since the utterance was brought to Peter's recollection, 
viz.: "John indeed baptised you with water, but ye shall be 
baptised with the Holy Ghost." This very important utterance 
of the Master was entirely forgotten by Peter, and here for the 
first time he understood the proper import of these words, and 
this, too, although he had passed through not only the Pente- 
cost, but through all the scenes intervening until this hour. And 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 81 

here for the first time Peter understood what was meant by 
Christ when they were uttered. And what was the thought 
that now made itself so thoroughly manifest to Peter ? Mark 
you it was not only that the Gentiles should be made fellow- 
heirs of the Grace of God, but that which was now transpiring 
before him was that which Christ referred to when he said "ye 
shall be baptized." What a mighty corroboration of the truth 
that the outpouring of the Holy Ghost was the baptism to 
which the Master referred when he gave the command " Go ye 
into all the world and preach the gospel to every creation. He 
that believeth and is baptised shall be saved, etc." There is yet 
another remark in connection with this event which is worthy 
of being noticed, viz.: " And God who knoweth the hearts 
bare them witness, giving them the Holy Gbost even as He did 
to us and put no difference between us and them, (now mark) 
purifying their hearts by faith." What is it that I have been 
contending for as the proper signification of the word baptise ? 
We have everywhere contended that it always signified in 
Scripture, purification, cleansing, healing. Here Peter states 
that purifying the heart by faith is the very thing referred to 
by the Master when he said to the disciples "ye shall be bap- 
tised." In these statements quoted it is declared beyond the 
possibility of controversy that baptism and the induement of 
the Holy Ghost, and the "purifying of the heart by faith " are 
one and the same thing. I am aware that the passage just 
quoted is toward the last somewhat mystifying and seems to 



82 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

refer to the water in such a way as to lead many to suppose 
that water baptism was enjoined, notwithstanding the Holy 
Ghost had been previously poured out. The remark to which 
I refer is this: " Who can forbid the water that these should 
not be baptized who have received the Holy Ghost as well as 
we ?" But the passage really presents no difficulty at all. We 
only need to keep in mind what has already been said in order 
to fully comprehend what is here declared. We have already 
seen that baptism and the operation of the Spirit of God are 
synonymous terms and mean exactly the same thing in Scrip- 
ture. Is it not true that the Holy Ghost or spirit and water are 
frequently used in Scripture synonymously ? Let us see. We 
at one time find Christ in conversation with a certain woman of 
Samaria. The subject of the conversation was largely water. 
A very peculiar subject no doubt, but nevertheless so it was. 
Christ made a certain request of the woman. It was, "£iive 
me to drink." She thought him to be referring to ordinary 
water, and He may have been just here, but at once He speaks 
of another water which even our immersion friends will be 
forced to concede was not ordinary water, in these words : " He 
that drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but he that drink- 
eth of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst again, 
but it shall be in him as a well of water springing unto ever- 
lasting life." It requires no argument to show that this reference 
is not to ordinary water, although the woman at first thought 
Him to be speaking of common water. But if it is not of com- 






CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 8) 

mon earthly water, then of what sort of water is He speaking ? 
He elsewhere said : " He that eateth of Me shall never hunger, 
and he that drinketh of Me shall never thirst." It is then here 
set forth that the water here spoken of is Himself. And yet 
again it is said : " He that drinketh of the water that I shall 
give shall never thirst, but the water that 1 shall give him shall 
be in him as a well of water springing up unto everlasting life," 
and yet again, " He that believeth on Me as the Scriptures hath 
said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" And for 
fear that some one would try to wrest even this Scripture as 
they have others, (to their own destruction) he is very careful 
to state. This he said with reference to the Spirit which those 
who believed on Him should receive. Here it is positively de- 
clared that the water of which Cnrist was ever speaking was 
either Himself or the Holy Ghost. And as we find that these 
two are one, and as we also find that the Spirit, the water and 
the blood are all said to be one, or to "agree in one," we are 
irresistibly led to the conclusion that inasmuch as it was this 
same Holy Spirit which is here declared to be the water, which 
all those who believed on Him should receive, and as it is also 
stated that it was while looking upon the outpouring of this 
same Holy Spirit upon the household of Cornelius that Peter 
made the remark : "Who can forbid the water?" That the 
water here spoken of as not to be resisted is nothing else than 
the Holy Ghost. Indeed we are everywhere in Scripture 
warned against resisting the Holy Spirit, and Peter had of course 



84 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

no disposition to do so, although the brethren of the circumcis- 
ion, who came with him from Joppa, and who were said to 
have been greatly amazed at the manifestation of the spirit be- 
ing thus poured out upon the Gentiles, may have in their zeal 
and prejudice objected to the whole proceeding, even as the dis- 
ciples at Jerusalem are said to have done. But when Peter ex- 
plained the whole matter to them they gladly received the new 
revelation as from the Master. Down in Caeserea Peter had 
said, "who can resist the water;" or more properly, "who can 
forbid the water" or what would be synonymous thereto, "can 
any man resist the Holy Ghost; or as he speaks of it before the 
Apostolic college at Jerusalem, " Who was I that I could with- 
stand God ? " He could not neither is there evidence that he 
either wanted to, or tried to do so. Therefore there is not the 
slightest ground for supposing that the water here referred to 
is ordinary water. Nay, we confidently affirm, that it is not, but 
that it was " God the Holy Ghost." There is yet another ex- 
pression in connection with this passage that needs explanation. 
It is this : " Then commanded He them to be baptised." 
Here it would seem that admitting the first baptism to be that 
of the Spirit, there is yet another spoken of, for it is after the 
outpouring of the Holy Spirit that it is said: "Then com- 
manded He them to be baptised." If the first is the only bap- 
tism, then what is meant by this last command that they should 
be baptised? The answer, difficult as it may seem to be, is yet 
very easy now that we have gotten out of the water. It is 






CHRISTIAN BAPTIMS. 85 

simply this. Heretofore baptism had never been offered to the 
Gentiie world, under the false idea that they were not included 
in the provisions of the Gospel of Christ, even as they had not 
been included in the Abrahamic covenant. It was not under- 
stood even by the disciples themselves that the Gentiles were 
now included. But Peter being now thoroughly convinced, even 
as the other Apostles afterwards came to be, that "that which 
God had cleansed, purified" (or baptised) by His Spirit, was no 
longer to be regarded as common or unclean, instituted it as a 
law, which has ever since been maintained in the church, that 
they (the Gentiles) should be baptised. The knowledge had 
now come to Peter, as it did to the other Apostles, that "then 
hath God also unto the Gentiles granted repentance unto life." 
The matter seems now to be fully settled in the mind of at least 
one of the Apostles, and at once he issued the command that 
Gentiles, as well as the Jews, should have the gospel preached 
unto them and be admitted to the purifying influence of the 
Holy Ghost. And the Gentile world is indebted to the wonder- 
ful occurrances of that day and to the command of Peter that 
the Gentiles should be admitted to all the privileges of the gos- 
pel (including the outpouring of the Holy Ghost heretofore ex- 
clusively reserved to the Jewish world and church) for all that 
they now enjoy of spiritual opportunity, and of the grace of God. 
If anything else than has here been set forth was the subject 
of Peter's remark, it would be exceedingly hard to determine 
what it was. That it could not have referred to water baptism 



86 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

is evident also from the fact that if it was to this he referred, 
his remark would be inappropriate, inasmuch as if any exciting 
ceremony was to be entered into why should he direct others to 
administer it, seeing that that was just what he, himself, was 
there for, and, as far as we know, the only one present who was 
at all authorized to perform such a work was himself. No, the 
remark had nothing to do with those who had already received 
the one, true baptism, but referred as I have said to the Gentile 
world. But that there was but one baptism performed at this 
time is surely evident, inasmuch as the Scriptures declare that 
there is but one baptism, even as there is but one Lord. And 
as we know that one baptism had already been administered 
viz : that of the Holy Ghost, it is difficult to see how another 
could have been ordered. It could not, nor was it. I am, 
therefore, free to declare that there is but one_ purification or 
baptism, and that is not with, by, or in water earthly, but is 
accomplished as Christ and His forerunner both set forth, and 
as the Scriptures everywhere declares "by the Holy Ghost and 
with fire." 

We will now pass to the next incident. This is the baptism 
of Lydia and her household, but here, as in the other passages 
referred to, water baptism is not mentioned. And there is no 
good reason to suppose that her baptism was at all different 
from that of Cornelius and his household, and we have already 
seen the character of that, inasmuch as it forcibly reminded 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. S7 

Peter of the statement of the Lord, "ye shall be baptised with 
the Holy Ghost." 

The next incident is the one of the Phillipian jailer, and 
presents nothing different from those already examined. And 
passing on from thence Paul and Silas came to -Thessalonica, 
where many of the Greeks, both men and women, are said to 
have believed and been baptised. But water is not mentioned. 
We soon find Paul at Athens where converts are spoken of, but 
nothing said as to water baptism. 

At Corinth we find Crispas, chief ruler of the synagogue, 
and many of the Corinthians believed and were baptised, no 
doubt as were the others, viz : with the Holy Ghost, as nothing 
to the contrary is even intimated. 

At Ephesus, we find an incident occuring which it is im- 
portant to notice as showing that as yet there were some who, 
knowing something of Christ, had yet a very imperfect knowl- 
edge of Him. One named Apolis, a Jew of Alexandria, came 
to Ephesus. The same being mighty in the Scriptures, be- 
ing partially taught in the ways of the Lord, spoke and 
taught diligently the ways of the Lord, "knowing only the 
baptism of John," but who, nevertheless, mightily convinced 
the Jews and that publicly showing out of the Scriptures that 
Jesus was the Christ. This man, finding friends in a certain 
couple, who perceiving his ability and yet seeing that he was 
lamentably ignorant as to the trm baptism, had the way of 
God more perfectly explained to him by them. And, inasmuch 



88 christian baptism. 

as it is stated that it was upon the subject of baptism that he 
was ignorant, it is but fair to presume that it was upon this 
point that he was instructed, since he only knew the "baptism 
of John," which was in one sense a water baptism, and which 
had now been superseded by the baptism of Christ or of the 
Holy Ghost. It was said Apolis was ignorant of all this. That 
he was quickly instructed by his friends, Priscilla and Aquilae, as 
to the new order of things, and of the higher and the ultimate 
baptism, and their haste in the matter, but shows the import- 
ance attached to the new and fuller baptism by these devout 
souls. We see in this also an example of how the baptism of 
John was kept up, notwithstanding it was now a thing of the past, 
in so far as the water of separation was concerned, that being 
now come to which the water pointed and which it foreshad- 
owed. That there was another baptism than that of John, and 
which was now increasing while John's was decreasing, even 
as its great founder had prophesied, was no doubt a great sur- 
prise to Apolis. But he, no doubt, accepted it gladly and profited 
by the knowledge. 

The next incident recorded is set forth in these words "And 
it came to pass while Apolis was at Corinth, Paul having passed 
through the upper coasts came to Ephesus and finding certain 
disciples he said unto them, have ye received the Holy Ghost 
since ye believed? And they said unto him we have not so 
much as heard that there be any Holy Ghost." Paul, no doubt, 
in astonishment enquires " Unto what then were ye baptised?" 






CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 89 

And they say "unto John's baptism." Then said Paul : " John 
verily baptised and preached the baptism of repentance, saying 
unto the people that they should believe on Him which should 
come after him, that is on Christ Jesus." "And when they 
heard this they were baptised in the name of the* Lord Jesus. 
And when Paul laid his hands on them the Holy Ghost came 
upon them, and they spake with tongues and prophesied, and 
all the men were about twelve." It certainly appears that in. 
view of this and preceding facts that any person can but see 
that whatever the character of John's baptism may have been, 
or whatever the mode or element, or circumstances of its 
administration, that it is here so thoroughly set aside and 
repudiated and superceded as to leave no doubt of its insufficiency 
and to establish the fact that inasmuch as there is declared to be 
but "one baptism" that, therefore, Christ's baptism is that one. 
And that hence water baptism is now no longer the thing- 
demanded at the hands of the Christians of to-day. We hear 
of much in the line of the miraculous transpiring, both under 
Christ and His apostles. Much of instruction was given on. 
almost every conceivable religious duty or privilege, but as yet 
we have to repeat that water baptism has not been found to be 
one of these. That these twelve men whom Paul found at 
Ephesus, who were said to be ignorant of the cleansing of the 
Holy Ghost, were persons who had heard the gospel from the 
lips of some teacher who was himself ignorant upon this matter 
is evident. It is quite likely that it was this same Apolis of 



90 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

whom we have been speaking, as he is said to have been 
preaching in Ephesus, and had just gone to Corinth a short 
while before Paul arrived at Ephesus. But whoever it was that 
had taught these men, the fact is clearly stated that they were 
entirely ignorant of the true and only baptism which was now 
deemed to be the all sufficient one, vis.: that of the Holy Ghost. 
Paul said to these men, "John veiily baptized and preached the 
baptism of repentence." Here again the character of John's 
baptism is declared to be that, not of water but of repentance. 
This is a very necessary factor in the plan of God, in and 
through which man is to be purified, but it is, as we have seen, 
wholly inadequate. Nothing but the baptism or cleansing 
incident to the out -pouring of the Holy Ghost is capable of 
" now saving us," as saith Peter. 

We have now, in as brief a way as possible, examined the 
history of the entire life of the Master, while in the flesh, and 
also that of the Apostles of the Lord, in as far as these are 
recorded in the gospel and the Acts of the Apostles. But we 
have failed to find in all the record of the active ministry of 
Christ on earth, or in the comprehensive history of the Acts of 
His Apostles during all the multiplied events recorded in which 
the world was being stirred by them as they went everywhere, 
preaching, teaching and continually speaking "all the words of 
this life," perfoiming innumerable miracles of every character, 
instructing and warning every man of that which it was con- 
sidered of the slightest importance for him to know, in all this 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 91 

we have utterly failed to find a solitary instance anywhere 
recorded in which the importance of water baptism is at all 
urged on any individual. We do find on the contrary that even 
John's baptism which is everywhere declared to be the baptism 
of repentance for the remission of sins, is no longer held to be 
sufficient, and the baptism of Christ, (viz.: Holy Ghost baptism) 
is everywhere insisted upon, as being the only true purification. 
We find that, notwithstanding, some, who under a misappre- 
hension of that which was required, had submitted to whatever 
was prescribed by some (teachers) who were themselves ignorant 
of the nature of Christ's baptism, were -afterwards instructed 
more perfectly in the " ways of the Lord " and after they had 
been thus instructed they were said to have been baptised in the 
name of the Lord Jesus, which was held to be the only fulfill- 
ment of the terms of the great commission. And again we say 
with a growing assurance water baptism is no where to be found. 
We now leave the gospel and the Acts and pass on to the 
Epistles to find what is there said upon this important subject. 
The first passage which we shall examine is perhaps the one 
passage above all others relied upon as teaching not only water 
mptism in general but immersion in particular. I refer to the 
following: Rom. 6: 7- 12th: "We are buried with him by 
baptism, etc." Those who quote this passage do so with an air 
as if to say this passage is surely conclusive as establishing 
immersion as the only correct form of baptism, But as with 
many other passages which have been relied upon as establishing 



92 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

the fact, it will be found that this, as well as all the others, will 
be found defective for this purpose, For it will be clearly shown 
that not only is immersion not taught in this passage but that 
there is not even a drop ot water about the whole passage, or 
in any way referred to therein. That it will be found as wholly 
inadequate as the others in serving to establish water baptism 
is that which will be fully admitted except by those whose pre- 
judices will not allow them to see the truth. The promise of 
Christ " ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of and be 
baptised with the baptism wherewith I am baptized " must have 
its complete fulfillment. And this entire passage to which our 
attention is now called is but a farther statement as to the how, 
where and when of its fulfillment. " Buried with him by 
baptism " is not alone a statement which has its fulfillment in 
in this day and age of the world, but is that which must have 
been just as true when uttered as it is to-day, or ever will be. 
It will be seen that the statement is not that we shall be buried 
with Him, but that " we are buried with Him." The statement 
was, therefore, just as true and as much of a fact in the then 
present experience of those to whom the words were first 
addressed, as they could possibly be to others. We will now 
consider this most wonderful statement, " We are buried with 
Him by baptism.'' It may as well be stated right here that this 
is not a proper translation of this passage from the Greek. 
We have had before occasion to refer to the fact that Greek 
words, like those of any other language, are susceptible of a 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 93 

variety of meanings. We have seen that eis, apo and bapti^o 
are among those words that may be thus differently rendered. 
I now wish to call attention to another Greek word used in this 
text under consideration. The word to which I refer is the 
preposition by — " burried with Him by baptism " is the wording 
of the text. The word by is not the proper word and ought 
not to have been used. Why ? I will explain. The word by 
is given in the text as the proper translation of the Greek word 
dia. Now, by is frequently a proper rendition of this word dia 
and if the conception of the person who gave us this translation 
was the true and proper conception, then and in that case, by 
would have been the proper word to have used. But I propose 
showing that the conception of the parties was a wrong one and 
that, therefore, they could, not have used the proper terms in 
the translation of the passage before us for consideration. It will 
be readily acknowledged that the conception of those who trans- 
lated the passage (and indeed the common conception) has been 
and is, that baptism is a cause producing a result, rather than the 
result of a cause. As we have seen it is the result of the work of 
the Holy Ghost upon the human heart and is not the agent by 
or through which the result is accomplised. Hence by, which is 
a preposition denoting agency, cannot by any possibility be 
made to properly translate that which is said to be accomplished. 
As we look into any Greek lexicon we will find that while, as I 
have said, by is a proper rendering of the Greek word dia, there 
are also other words which signify and which properly translate 



94 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

it, viz: to, through, by agency of, for the sake of, with, because of ', 
during, in the course of, on account of, for, with a view to, 
etc. I will cite but one passage illustrative of how by the use 
of this word by to translate dia the sense would be so thoroughly 
changed that the passage would be made to express a lie. This 
passage is this : " The Sabbath was made for man and not man 
for the Sabbath." Here the word dia is translated for and the 
passage is made to express a great truth. But suppose the 
translators had thought the Sabbath to be an institution of 
human origin, and that God had nothing whatever to do with 
its inauguration as a day to be observed. Suppose, I say, that 
this had been their conception. They would have been obliged 
to have rendered the passage into English in this way : " The 
Sabbath was made by man and not man by the Sabbath." Do 
you not see that this would of necessity have been the wording 
used by them because it thus exactly expresses the idea which is 
their's in the supposition. And yet I declare without fear of the 
statement being successfully refuted, that this rendering, which 
I have here used as a hypothesis, would not be any more per- 
vertive of the truth than is the rendering of this passage under 
consideration. The word is the same in both instances, viz: dia. 
The one passage reads " We are buried with Him dia baptism." 
The other passage to which attention is called reads thus : " The 
Sabbath was made dia man, and not man dia the Sabbath." 
And yet the translators have rendered this same word dia in the 
one place by and in the other for. The question is why did they 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 95 

do it ? The answer is simple. They translated both passages in 
harmony with their own ideas as to that which was taught. In 
the one case their conception was the right one, and hence the 
rendering is made to speak the truth ; whereas in the other case 
their conception of the truth taught was wrong and hence the 
rendering into the English could not but be wrong. It would 
have been impossible for them as honest men, with their under- 
standing of that which was taught to have translated it other- 
wise than they did. Truth, according to their conception of it, 
compelled them to use the preposition by rather than for, because 
for could by no possibility be made to express the truth which 
they thought was taught m the passage. Their conception was 
that baptism was an outward ordinance through or by the per- 
formance of which certain results were to be had; and they 
never thought of baptism being a thing in itself ; the result and 
not the cause, and hence they could not have rendered it other- 
wise. We have dwelt on this matter at length, because of its 
great importance, not only to the argument but to the cause of 
truth itself. With this explanation, let us once again turn to 
the text — ''Buried with Him for baptism," It is for baptism 
then instead of by baptism that we are buried. And what is 
baptism ? Every Greek lexicographer will admit it to have the 
meaning of cleansing, purity. Well, then the statement is sub- 
stantially this : " Therefore we are buried with Him for cleans- 
ing or purification." But is this needed and is it true ? Yea, 
verily. Nearly every page of the Book sets forth human 



96 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

depravity and man's natural uncleanness. And it is declared 
''Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." Our whole 
system of theology is builded on the proposition than man is 
sinful, polluted, unclean and stands in need of complete 
moral renovation. Take this out of the gospel, and we 
have no gospel. We will then consider it admitted that 
man stands in need of baptism, or cleansing, which is the 
same. Where, and when, is this great work accom- 
plished ? Certainly not in the future. We are not Catholics 
that we should believe in a future purgatory, where expiation 
and purgation take place. Where then, I repeat, is this purifi- 
cation to take place ? But do I need to make such an inquiry ? 
No, for we all know that it must transpire here, in this life, if 
at all. But the text says this is to transpire in that which is 
termed death. "We are buried with Him for baptism into 
death;" or as it would be better understood, we are buried 
in death with Him for our cleansing, or purification. Are we 
being purified ? Certainly. " He shall purify the sons of Jacob 
and purge them as gold and .silver are purged" Then if we are 
being cleansed, purified and baptised we must be where these 
things are said to be accomplished. But these things are said to 
be accomplished in a condition called death. Are we in death, 
and is this condition in which we find man ever called death ? 
Are we ever said to be dead notwithstanding we are in physical 
life ? To ask the question is to answer it. That we are in death 
is a fact universally recognized. If, then, one should raise the 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 97 

question for what purpose are we here ? Not only this passage 
but all Scripture, yea and all human experience as well, would 
quickly respond for cleansing, purification and baptism. The 
Psalmist is heard to say, "though I walk," or am walking 
"through the valley and shadow of death I will fear no evil." 
Why ? " For thou art with me and thy rod and staff they com- 
fort rne." We are buried with Him in death. Again it is said : 
11 In the midst of life we are in death." And ytt again "those 
who sat in the regions and shadow of death light hath sprung 
up." The Christian is everywhere promised resurrection out 
of the state of death. This very passage under consideration 
speaks of Christ as being raised up out of the dead by the glory 
of the Father, and holds out the promise that we also shall arise 
to "walk in newness of life." We have now seen that baptism 
is a thing performed in, for, or upon man. That this is per- 
formed for him in this life, through the preaching of the Gospel 
of Jesus Christ and by the operation of the Divine Spirit, in 
connection with the present environment of man, which is called 
death t out of which it is the destiny of all who will, to be resur- 
rected. That all of this is under the immediate control of the 
Son of God, who says, " I am with you always," is also true. 
The only thing now necessary is to show that being dead, or in 
a state of the dead, we are also buried, or that we are repre- 
sented as being so in Scripture. This is easily settled by the 
utterance of the Master himself : " Marvel not at this, the hour 
cometh and now is when they who are in their graves shall 



98 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

come forth." We here find that not only are we dead, but 
that which is the natural condition with reference to the dead is 
also true of mankind, viz: he is buried and in his grave, most 
fittingly illustrated by the condition of Lazerus. But is Christ 
here with us ? Need I ask ? " I will never leave thee nor for- 
sake thee, "I will uphold thee with the right hand of My right- 
eousness ; "Lo, I am with thee even unto the end." Is there any- 
thing left to be proven to make this passage one of the most 
blessed passages in all the book. Let us read it again. "Know ye 
not that as many of us as were baptised into Jesus Christ were 
baptised into his death? Therefore we are buried with Him for 
baptism into death that like as Christ was raised from the state 
of the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should 
walk in newness of life, for if we have been planted together in 
the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his 
resurrection. Knowing this that our old man is crucified with 
Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed." We find it 
then to be a truth that we are buried in death, but that it is not 
true that we are buried in water . The burial therefore spoken 
of in the passage cannot be in water because the statement is 
"we are buried" — or have been. What a fearful stretch of 
imagination it takes and how must the word be warped to make 
this burial spoken of to be in water, when it is most positively 
stated that it is in death that we are buried. What an illustra- 
tion is this of the ability of some to see that which is in no wise 
stated, in order to bolster up, at the expense of truth, some 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 99 

favorite theory, even although to do so requires the " handling 
of the word of God deceitfully." We declare that there is not 
in this passage the slightest allusion to water in any form what- 
ever and challenge any man to show the contrary. But this 
truth may be further shown, not only declaring- the burial 
spoken of not to be in water, not simply because there is no 
water mentioned, but because also the human race cannot be 
truthfully said to be buried in water, nor was Christ ever (so far 
as we know), buried in water, and it certainly wiH not be claimed 
that He is now thus buried. And yet the text declares that "we 
are buried with Him," and if He is not thus buried now in water 
certainly we cannot be, inasmuch as it is stated that we are 
buried with Him. Neither Christ nor mankind are buried in 
water, or if they are they are not aware of the fact. 

Whereas we are fully aware that we are buried here in this 
condition, which is everywhere in Scripture called death, planted 
indeed as this passage declares in the likeness, or after the 
manner of His death, here in this life. " Inasmuch as the 
children were partakers of fle~h and blood He also himself took 
part in the same, etc." The thought is that the Christian is in 
Christ and* only has an existence by virtue of being in Him. 
That Christ being planted or buried here and we in Him being 
also planted or buried. The promise is that "we shall grow up 
together with Him in all things," for that he is the life and 
inspiration of all our growth and development, "He that hath 
the Son hath life." In Him we live, and in Him we move, in 



100 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

Him we have our being. It is declared in Scripture of the 
Christ. " Though He was a son, yet learned He obediance by 
the things which He suffered." And this also " for it became 
him by whom are all things, and to whom are all things, in 
bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of our 
salvation perfect through suffering." Where was all this 
accomplished ? Here, in this life. Is it likely that anything of 
this was in the mind of the Master when He said to His disciples 
" Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of and be 
baptised with the baptism wherewith I am baptised}" Cer- 
tainly. In other words each individual Christian is passing 
through this death, in order that the purification which was 
wrought in and for Christ might be wrought out for man as he 
also passes with Christ through this life's experiences; annointed 
with the same Holy Ghost, passing through the same mode of 
existence, subject to the same conditions of suffering, sorrow 
and disappointment, and finally of death itself for the same 
identical purpose as did He, viz: baptism or purification. For 
it must be remembered always, as saith the scriptures, that " we 
are His body," His flesh and His bones; and although the 
Divine in Christ was and is perfect, and needs no purifying or 
cleansing, that His body, " which body we are," needs cleansing. 
And it is just that which is being cleansed and made pure in this 
death through which it is now passing. " Buried with him in 
death for baptism " is then not purposeless. On the contrary it 
is alone in this life, which is called death, that all of this, the 



CHRISTIAN BAPTIMS. 101 

mighty purpose of God is being worked out in and through 
Christ \Jesus. "For this is the will of God — even your sanctifi- 
cation or baptism." " Work out your own salvation with fear 
and trembling for it is God that worketh in you both to will 
and to do his own good pleasure." That death, therefore, is as 
much for man as is aught else is clearly evident. Indeed the 
Scriptures declare that even as Christ, or the world, or life 
so also death itself " all are yours, and ye are Christ's and 
Christ is God's." So that we find the conception of the men, 
who translated this passage from the Greek into the English for 
us, to have been entirely wrong. Their conception being that 
baptism was but an outward ordinance in the church of which 
man in the outward was the subject and water the only element, 
therefore, we ought to be no longer bound by their opinions, 
inasmuch as a wrong conception must of necessity be expressed 
in wrong terms. This statement is also conclusive. " He gave 
some apostles, some prophets, and evangelists, for the perfecting 
of the church, for the work of the ministry, for the building up 
of the body of Christ, till we all attain unto the unity of the 
faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto full grown 
manhood to the fullness of the measure of the stature of Christ." 
Many passages of like import might be quoted showing the 
purpose of God, in us through Christ Jesus, to be our purifica- 
tion and that while here. But we think enough has been said 
to show the import of the text under consideration, not to be of 
the. character attributed to it and sought to be proved therefrom 



102 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

by those, who, being short of legitimate evidence wherewith to 
bolster up an outward ordinance, seek to make this high and holy 
truth a means of accomplishing this purpose. But there is far 
too much in the passage to have its precious truth thus emascu- 
lated or buried. No, we are buried here, if you please, in this 
present condition, which is acknowledged to be death, as we 
have seen, for a specific purpose, viz: baptism. Buried, not in 
water, as some would like to have it, but in death, and that too, 
because that here and here alone such forces prevail as can at 
all accomplish the necessary result. That it is possible that we 
may not be able to understand just all that is involved in this 
word death is that which may be readily admitted. In fact it is 
quite evident that we do not. But this gives us no possible 
excuse for interpreting it to mean water. For while it is a truth 
that death often occurs in water, and while it may still farther 
be admitted that burials are sometimes made in water, such as 
at sea, this is not the only agent of death, neither is it the only 
element in which man is buried, neither has it ever been held 
that death and water are synonymous and why they 
should be thought to be tl~e same in this particular 
case, when in no other case in all the multiplied instances 
in which both of these words are used is it ever thought 
of as a possible thing that they should be one and the 
same thing is, to say the least, exceedingly strange and is sug- 
gestive of a dire necessity upon the part of those who have thus 
thought themselves called upon to interpret this passage of Scrip- 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 103 

ture. What that dire necessity, was and is, I will leave the 
reader to judge. Of one thing 1 am confident and that is, if the 
word "buried" occurred in connection with any other word except 
baptism, there would not be one, of all the number, who would 
be found even suspecting that water was at all referred to. In- 
deed how they can even be pursuaded that in this passage water 
is referred to, when that into which the subject is said to be 
buried is death, is as I have already said beyond comprehension. 
When the rendering of the passage as 1 have given it, although 
it does forever preclude the water theory, is yet so in harmony 
with every expressed thought of Scripture elsewhere given, as to 
be self-evident as to the import of that which is written here. 
So simple indeed and plain is the truth presented in this passage, 
as I have rendered it, that few will be found who will not at 
once accept its truthfulness to other existing Scriptural repre- 
sentations. David, as we have seen, derived hope, joy, comfort, 
yea gladness from the thought that he was walking with Christ 
"'through the valley of the shadow of death", and he expressed 
himself as not being fearful because the Lord was with him. 
Was David buried in water? No; but he was buried in the 
valley of the shadow of death, for he is said to have cried "Out 
of the belly of hell", yea "the sorrows of hell compassed him 
about". Deliverance out of death was one of the favorite 
themes of the Psalmist. The fact is the Lord was with the 
Psalmist as he walked here in this life, which as 1 have said is 
death. It was also here that " Enoch walked with God." The 



104 christian baptism. 

Psalmist was as surely here for cleansing as are we. He, as we 
do, cried out for cleansing. "Create in me a clean heart, and 
renew a right Spirit within me" was his prayer. "Wash 
(baptise) me and I shall be whiter than snow." Again we 
hear him rejoicing "For Thou hast delivered my soul from 
death:' What a grand truth is thus made to appear and to 
stand forth in this passage. Who would destroy it ? And yet 
it is most effectually destroyed the moment we think of water 
as the thing spoken of or referred to as being that into which 
we are said to be buried. Whereas, if we, like David, recog- 
nize that we at present, in the righteous plan and purpose of our 
God, are also walking through the valley and the gloom of death, 
and that Christ the Lord, the great "shepherd and bishop of our 
soul" is yet with us, buried with us in death, being assured that we 
are necessarily here buried for a time, and for a purpose, being 
assured not only by this, but by other passages of Scripture, 
that though we are here for a short time, if need be in suffer- 
ing, and in death, and although these things are "not joyous, but 
grievous," yet that "afterwards they shall yield the peaceable 
fruits of righteousness to those who are exercised thereby." 
For while we are here, as was and is our Lord, in the enemies" 
country, as it were, and while He is said to be "the God of this 
world of death" in which we are at present, it" is yet true that 
the Christ is here with us to "destroy the works of the devil," 
and to "deliver those who through fear of death were all their 
lifetime subject to bondage" in death, so that in the midst of the 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 105 

struggle we hear the cheering word of the blessed Lord who ever 
liveth, saying, " Fear not for I am with thee ; be not dismayed 
for 1 am thy God ; I will strengthen thee, yea I will keep thee, 
yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.' ' 
" Be of good cheer, I have overcome the # world."' " Because I 
live ye shall live also." " Who shall separate us from the love 
of God ? for I am persuaded that neither life nor death, nor 
things present nor things to come, etc." And will not death be 
able to separate us from the love of God ? No, it has not ; 
neither will it be able to. For " I am with thee and will keep 
thee." While it is true that you are buried here in death for a 
time, it is also true that I am buried with you. " I'll stand by 
until the morning; I've come to save you, do not fear." 
And though the night be long, the fighting and wrestling severe, 
"be patient under the mighty hand of God and He shall lift thee 
up." Yea, your complete and full baptism shall be accom- 
plished, for it is my purpose as expressed in the very first utter- 
ance which I ever made to or about man. " Let us make man 
in our image." And it is my purpose to one day present you 
"spotless, thoroughly purified before His throne with exceed- 
ing joy." These are but some of the glorious truths which lie 
buried in this passage, yet not so deeply but that all, who care 
to; may read even as he runs the race set before him according 
to the gospel. Paul in the letter to the Corinthians exhoits his 
brethren to faithfulness and diligence and perseverance in this 
matter, illustrating the truth by reference to the Grecian games 



106 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

and races, where prizes were awarded to those of the greatest 
endurance, referring at last to the passage of the children of 
Israel through the Red Sea, to which we have already referred. 
I have dwelt at some length upon this passage in order to show 
how exceedingly foolish, yea how wicked even it is to so change 
and pervert the blessed teachings of Scripture as to wholly divert 
the mind of the reader of God's word from the truth sought to 
be imparted. 

The next passage to which our attention is called is this: 
" For by one Spirit we are all baptised into one body ; " 1st 
Cor., 12:13. Here baptism is clearly set forth as the work of 
the one Spirit, the same Holy Ghost of which we have been 
speaking. You will remember that in Scripture the church of 
Christ is called His body. We are here said to be baptised, or 
cleansed, or set apart by the Spirit and made a part of the body 
of Christ, viz: the church Spiritual. Notwithstanding this 
specific and very plain declaration there are yet those who per- 
sist in throwing a cloud upon this gracious work of the Divine 
Spirit by referring the agency by which mankind is to be bap- 
tised to water. But this passage is in harmony with every 
other declaration of Scripture when it refers to the fact of bap~ 
tism to the agency of the Holy Ghost, and says not one word 
about water. That the church of Jesus Christ, which is in 
Scripture declared to be His body, is to be thoroughly purified, 
cleansed, sanctified and made to be a "glorious church without 
spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing" is the belief of all Christian- 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 107 

dom, as well as the specific declaration of Scripture. Why then 
is it so hard to get people to see that when the Scriptures speak 
of baptism, which word, according to every Greek lexicon, 
means just this thing, that they are so slow to receive the truth 
and to rejoice in it. Was ever blindness so inexcusable as here ? 
We pity the ignorance and blindness of the old Israelites in not 
rising to the apprehension of the spiritual truth inhering in God's 
gracious message to them, and for contenting themselves with 
the husks whilst leaving the kernel of Divine Truth untouched. 
But in what respect are those who persist in declaring that bap- 
tism is an outward ordinance of the church to be administered 
in, or by the use of water (when as we have seen the Scriptures 
ever declare that we are to be baptised by the one Holy Spirit 
into the one body, and that body is the church not outward 
and in the flesh, but a Spiritual house to offer spiritual sacri- 
fices) better than they ? That every word or expression by 
which God seeks to show forth His purpose in man, is equiva- 
lent to, or synonymous with baptism is that which cannot be 
truthfully denied. And this passage before us rightly inter- 
preted is in exact harmony with every other declaration of 
truth, and means simply that which it states to be a fact, viz: 
that by the Spirit of God we are all purified or baptised into 
one body. And as we have seen that the body of Christ is 
synonymous with the Church of Jesus Christ and that these are 
declared to be the same, it is difficult to see in what way water 
can fulfill the conditions held forth as being necessary. The 



108 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

truth is it does not, no matter how it is administered. There 
is no saving efficacy in either the water or in the mode of its 
application. Water, as I have before stated, is not the thing 
talked about in Scripture when heart purification is under dis- 
cussion. And of all the passages referred to no one is more 
explicit than the one just considered, viz : " For by one Spirit 
we are all baptised (or purified) into one body." How plain 
now in the light of this passage is the command of Christ to 
the Disciples made to appear "baptising them," not into water, 
nor yet through the agency of water, but into the " God -head 
bodily," viz : into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost. When we are given to understand that the 
first expressed purpose of God with reference to man was "let 
us make man in our image," and as we read again the terms of 
Christ's commission to His disciples, "to baptise them in the 
name of the triune God," we cannot resist the truth that being 
made into the image of God, and being baptised into the name 
of the triune God are the one and same event and accomplished 
through identically the same instrumentality, viz ; the Divine 
Spirit, and that earthly water has no more to do with this 
work than has any other earthly agency. If without any pre- 
vious thought or belief upon this subject, and without any pre- 
disposition to any particular form of doctrine upon it, we were 
simply shown by the authority of Scripture, first God's purpose, 
as expressed in Genesis, viz : to make man in His image, and 
second Christ's instructions to His disciples "to baptise the na- 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 109 

tions," and then were to read this passage which declares that 
"by one Spirit we are all baptised into one body," and if we 
were then to learn that the "body of Christ" was no other than 
the Spiritual church of Christ, and if especially we were in this 
connection to hear Christ declare "ye shall be baptised with the 
Holy Ghost," would we not instinctively and at once arrive at 
the conclusion that being made into the image of God, and be- 
ing baptised into the Godhead, by or through the Holy Ghost, 
was but one and the same thing ? We certainly would. This 
would be the only conception that would be possible. We, 
therefore, assert with confidence that there is not the slightest 
reference in this passage to water ; nay, water is not possible 
to this passage. This Scripture is beyond the possibility of be- 
ing wrested in any such way. He who would dare to assert 
that water was the thing referred to here as the instrumentality 
through which baptism is here said to be accomplished, would 
first be compelled to show that the Spirit of God and earthly 

k water are synonymous. Whereas no greater blasphemy than 
this could be possible, except that referred to in the olden time, 
in which some declared that Christ cast out devils through 
"Belzebub, the prince of devils." Even the statement that water 
is the thing referred to must be in some sense "blasphemy 
against the Holy Ghost," inasmuch as God says that it is by the 
Holy Ghost that we are all baptised, whereas it is declared by 
many that, on the contrary, water, and that earthly, is the thing 
or instrument in or through which baptism is wrought. If this 



110 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

is not "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost," it is difficult to see 
how any one could blaspheme. 

The next passage ro which 1 shall refer is found in 1st 
Cor., 15:29 and forms a part of Paul's argument on the resur- 
rection and reads thus: " Else what shall they do who are 
baptised for the dead; if the dead rise not at all, why are they 
then baptised and why stand we in jeopardy every hour ? * * 
* * If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at 
Ephesus, what advantageth it me (or what profit is it, viz: this 
fighting to me) if the dead rise not. Let ue eat and drink for 
to-morrow we die." We have here a very peculiar passage and 
one from which it will be almost impossible for any one to 
extract good sense. The translators have done the best they 
could under the circumstances, believing as I have said, that 
baptism is an outward ceremony to be performed, in which water 
must be made to figure as a cause producing a certain result 
(although what that result is that is thus accomplished in the 
use of the water has never been stated, except by those who 
have, by the logic of their own misapprehension, been forced to 
declare that result to be salvation). The expression " Else what 
shall they do which are baptised for the dead " is misleading. 
The better expression would be, and the evident argument of 
the Scripture is " what shall they make or wherein shall they be 
profited above the dead," or those who are in what is called 
death, by having been purified or baptized by the sore afflictions 
through which they had been called to pass ? If there is to be 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. Ill 

no distinction between the final lot of the righteous and the 
wicked what advantage is it to be purified, when it is known 
that in order to be thus purified, difficulty, danger, " nakedness 
and peril and the sword " must be encountered. If the dead 
rise not, all that Paul lost in accepting and promulgating the 
Gospel of Jesus Christ had been sacrificed in vain. And while 
baptism, cleansing and purification of his character, through 
these things he had been called upon to suffer, had indeed been 
accomplished, why after all had he endured these things in 
order that he might be baptized or purified as was the Christ by 
and through the same process, viz: "through the things which 
He suffered," if this baptism was after all quite useless, seeing 
that the dead were not to rise, and all things were to remain 
eternally as they have been since the formation of the world ? 
If this was so, those who were impure, unbaptized, were in just 
as good a condition as were those who, by the grace of God, 
had waded through hardships, and deprivation in the vain 
thought that character thus attained would be of any worth 
" for if in this life only we have hope in God we are of all men 
most miserable." That this is the argument lies on the very 
surface. " What does it all profit me " saith Paul. The stripes, 
the imprisonment, the maltreatment of every kind, which he 
and others of the Apostles suffered and the "loss of all things" 
of which he speaks, were useless, utterly foolish, and the great 
moral cleansing, resulting from his fighting his own evil propen- 
sities and lustful appetite, was to count for nothing, inasmuch as 



112 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

all remained in the state of death, without a possibility of 
resurrection. But we can almost hear the earnest utterance of 
Paul after showing the weakness of such a proposition he returns 
to the charge, and what is that charge? "Awake (arise) to 
righteousness." What is righteousness? Purity of heart and 
life. And what is baptism ? Purity of heart and life. Noth- 
ing more, nothing less. And he closes the chapter and the 
argument with this stirring appeal, which is the consummation of 
all that inheres in baptism: "Be ye therefore steadfast, unmovable, 
always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye 
know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." But in all of 
this there is not the slightest allusion to water. 

Again in Galatians 3:27 we find this reference to baptism, 
" for as many as have been baptised into Christ, have put on 
Christ." This is part of Paul's argument, in which he cites the 
faith in Christ Jesus for the justification of the sinner and the 
redemption wrought by faith in him, as over against the works 
of the law, as a ground for hope of eternal life. The very 
thing that the Jews were contending for was the observance of 
an outward ordinance, upon which they predicted their hope of 
salvation. The ordinance insisted upon so strenuously by these 
Jews was that of circumcision as being of more worth than 
faith in Jesus Christ and baptism of the Holy Ghost. That 
some of these Galatians had fallen from Grace, that is in 
resting their hope of salvation upon the observance of the 
outward rite of circumcision and in keeping of the law, to which 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 113 

they had been seduced by those of the circumcision who had as 
yet not arisen to the conception that Christ was the "end of the 
law for righteousness to every one who believeth," is plain. 
For Paul cries out " Oh foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched 
you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus 
Christ has been evidently set forth crucified and slain. This 
only would 1 learn of you. Received ye the Spirit by the works 
of the law or by the hearing of faith ? Are ye so foolish ? 
Having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect in the 
flesh} He, therefore,, that ministereth to you the Spirit and 
worketh miracles among you doth he it by the work of the law 
or the hearing of faith, tic.} " It is strange indeed that anyone 
in reading this passage should fail to catch its significance, so 
apparent is it. We have cited many passages in this discussion, 
which prove beyond controversy the position we have taken. 
But few, however, are stronger than this one in setting forth 
the foolishness of supposing that anything which can be done in 
the flesh, or outwardly, can be at all of the slightest significance 
in the matter of Religion and Christianity. Paul was here 
endeavoring to show to these weak brethren of Galatia how 
wondrously foolish was their adhesion to an outward ordinance. 
They had heard the word of the gospel preached, they had be- 
lieved that word. They had exercised faith in the Christ, the 
Holy Ghost had been imparted to them. They stood complete 
in Christ Jesus, and yet, notwithstanding all this, at the instiga- 
tion of some Jewish %ealot, who had not as yet gotten out from 



114 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

under the shadow of the old ceremonial law, which, as this same 
Apostle says, was contained in carnal washings and " divers or 
many baptisms." They allowed themselves, even as do some 
at the present day, to be persuaded that something more was 
yet necessary to complete the work. Paul was endeavoring to 
call back these from following such vain delusions. For whilst 
the error might not materially effect those among them who 
were really Christians, others, not fully under the control 
of the Spirit, might be led into the error of sup- 
posing that the outward was all there was of the mat- 
ter of the religion of Jesus Christ even as it had long 
since been all there was of the religion of the Jews. We 
do not need to be told of the strong tendency that seems to 
inhere in all religion to expend itself in the outward form and 
ceremony, while the real and true grows less and less distinct. 
Human nature was the same then as now, and Paul wished to 
present it in the strongest possible light. The matter under 
discussion was, how is salvation to be attained. The Jew 
answered by the keeping of the Law. Paul inquires as to how 
they received the Spirit. Whether by the works of the law or 
the hearing of faith. The test of this matter as to how the 
Spirit was, or is, received, was held by Paul as a good 
criterian as to all else of a spiritual character. If the Spirit was 
given as a reward for careful observance of the ceremonial law, 
which was being urged so persistently upon them by these Jews, 
then Paul no doubt would have recommended careful and 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 115 

continued observance thereof. But inasmuch as they had as 
Gentiles, without even the outward knowledge of the law, been 
" born again " and had their sins all washed away in the " Blood 
of Christ," and as especially they had received "the Holy Spirit 
of promise, whereby they were sealed to the day of redemption," 
and inasmuch as all of this had been vouchsafed to them while 
they were as yet total strangers to all that the law stood for, 
how was it possible that anything more was necessary. Noth- 
ing of the kind is now at all necessary. Paul would say, " the 
law was only our schoolmaster for to bring us to Christ." " But 
now ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus." 
" For as many as have been baptised into Christ have put on 
Christ." * * * * "And if ye be Christ's then are ye 
Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise." And 
again : " He who gave His own Son to die for us, shall He not 
with Him freely give us all things ? " "The Law and the 
Prophets were until John, etc." That Paul was here depreciat- 
ing all outward forms and ceremonies, which were strenuously 
advocated by those who had imbibed the idea that these were 
still necessary, cannot be denied. And to suppose that he would 
be so anxious for the overthrow of one ceremonial law that had 
been believed and enforced for centuries and then that he would 
lend himself to the upbuilding of another form which could not 
even show the sanction of the Master, and which had only been 
referred to by him in order to repudiate it, is simply rediculous. 
Paul here, as elsewhere, taught most emphatically that the 



116 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

human soul stood " complete in Christ," without the interven- 
tion of any form or ceremony of any character whatever, and 
for himself wholly repudiated all form. Christ was to him 
" sanctification and redemption," and we also can truthfully say 
" Yea, all I need in Him to find, etc." No the "Spirit " is in 
this, as well as in all the other passages quoted, the thing talked 
about as the most indispensable thing. Yea, as I have before 
stated, it is the " one thing needful." of which the Scriptures 
speak. 

There is in Ephesians 4:5 another passage which those who 
pin their faith to water baptism, (and especially our immersion 
friends) love to quote, and strange as it may seem, they do so in 
perfect ignorance of the fact (that whatever "crumbs of com- 
fort" they may have been able to extract from any of the other 
passages herein quoted), that there is absolutely nothing in this 
passage for them. For whilst it is true that in some instances 
water may have had (at least in the sense of environment) some 
connection with and performed a part in the prefiguring of that 
purity which was to be wrought out in Jesus Christ, in this 
passage there is nothing even of this mild character, nor is it 
even for a moment allowed to appear. Water is certainly not 
in this passage, wherever else it may be found. Indeed here it 
finds its everlasting and inglorious death. That there is but one 
Lord is the universally accepted belief of all who claim the 
name of Christian. We are all also ready to endorse the second 
statement — " one faith." But if indeed there is but one bap- 



CHRISTIAN BAPTIMS. 117 

tism, then water, as a baptism, must forever step down and 
out. Inasmuch as there is but one, this must of necessity be 
Christ's. And He everywhere sets forth the cleansing of the 
Holy Spirit as His baptism. " John indeed baptised you with 
water, but ye shall be baptised with the Holy Ghost." There 
is certainly no one who will deny but that there is the " baptism 
of the Holy Ghost," and if there is then there can by no possi- 
bility be another, inasmuch as the passage under consideration 
declares that there is only one. And if there is only one, and 
that one is the baptism of the Holy Ghost, it is exceedingly 
difficult to see how or where water comes in. It does not. And 
it has no more to do with constituting a person a Christian than 
has circumcision. Indeed, of the two, circumcision has by far 
the greater force and can show better reasons and argument, 
drawn from Scripture, as to why it should be recognized as an 
ordinance binding upon the church to-day, than can the advo 
cate of water baptism show for the continuance of its adminis- 
tration. That there is, therefore, but one Lord is the faith of 
Christendom. That there is but one faith readily commands 
the assent of all. That there is, also, but one baptism is equally 
true, no matter if the conception of man is that there are many. 
One holds that baptism means to sprinkle; another that it 
means to pour ; while still another asserts that nothing but im- 
mersion can by any means be acknowledged as being "true and 
genuine baptism ; " and yet another asserts with all the assur- 
ance born of misconception that to immerse three times back- 



118 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

ward is the only true and God-ordained mode; but still another 
is found insisting with all the power of ignorance that three 
times forward is the only sure way to fulfill that which inheres 
in the command to be baptized. We begin to wonder if we 
have gotten through with this nonsense, and are surprised to 
learn that there must be a certain quality of water, viz: run- 
ning. And yet we are not through, for some assert that to 
" wash each other's feet " is now the " great command of the 
Law," whereas we most emphatically declare that none of these 
things, nor all of them combined, have the slightest thing to do 
in the matter of salvation of the human soul, and with equal 
assurance declare that not one of them is that which the Word 
of God refers to when the term baptism is employed to set 
forth that which is commanded. On the contrary that which 
is everywhere commanded in the Scripture, as that which must 
be, is holiness, purity, sanctification, " the washing of regen- 
eration and the renewing of the Holy Ghost." And that it is 
as true to-day as when it was spoken, "That by the deeds of 
the Law shall no flesh living be justified ; " and that although we 
of to-day would " wash us with nitre " as one of old, the pro- 
cess would be a useless experiment. We can only be cleansed 
by the Spirit of God, by the blood of Jesus, by the water of 
life, all three of which are but one. " The Spirit and the water 
and the blood are one ; " or agree or unite in one. And when 
the Master says : " I will send you another comforter, even 
the Spirit of truth, whom I will send unto you from the Father, 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 119 

which shall abide with you always, etc." And when he says 
" I will be with you always, even unto the end of the world," 
He refers to the same thing. When it is inquired by one, " Lord, 
how wilt Thou manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the 
world ? " the answer is : " If a man love Me, my Father will 
love him, and We will come unto him (really into him) and will 
make, or take up our abode with him." And thus the soul has 
the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, the Spirit, the water y 
and the blood, the great three is one and one in three, the ''full- 
ness of the God-head." Is this sufficient, or do we yet need a 
little water of earth applied in some form to our person, to 
which we may look as a thing in itself of more importance than 
all the purifying and sanctifying Grace of God ? May we not 
here with Paul cry out, in view of such a conception, " Oh fool- 
ish Galatians who hath bewitched you ? " But we reiterate the 
words of this text : " There is one Lord, one Father, one bap- 
tism" And as Christ and His disciples everywhere insist that 
His baptism is of the Holy Ghost, we believe that water is not 
only a useless thing, but when set up as being that to which 
Christ and the Apostles referred when they directed the atten- 
tion of the people to this baptism, it becomes an unholy rival in 
the minds of the people and frequently takes full possession of 
the thought and attention of man to the utter exclusion of the 
thought of the absolute necessity of the purifying presence of 
the Divine Spirit. So true is this that there are whole so-called 
"Christian communities" who have lost sight of the Holy Spirit 



120 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

in their never-ending clamor as to the absolute importance of 
water baptism, administered in harmony with their peculiar 
ideas. And others have given so much thought to this matter 
as not only to neglect the one only and true baptism, but who, 
driven by the force of their own logic in conjunction with this 
text of Scripture, one baptism, have in order to uphold their 
own water baptism as the one referred to by the Apostles, been 
forced to deny any other — that of the Divine Spirit included ; 
and not only so, but following along the line of this damnable 
heresy they have even now come to the ultimate, which is the 
denial of the work of the Holy Ghost upon the human heart. 
There is no such thing as the Holy Ghost baptism, they say. 
Yea, farther than this, some declare openly that Christ is not 
the Son of God. That He is inferior to God, while yet, or 
more properly as ytt, acknowledging His so-called divinity. That 
this is the legitimate fruitage of a doctrine which confounds the 
most high and holy things of the Spirit with the traditions of 
men, is not to be wondered at. The same result has often oc- 
curred before. It is simply another case of acknowledging the 
form, or "having the form of Godliness, while denying the 
power thereof." It is "serving the creature more than the 
Creator." And they are, when quoting this passage, (Eph. 4:5) 
to uphold water baptism, puling themselves on record as deny- 
ing the truth which inheres in the passage itself, "doing despite 
unto the Spirit of Grace" and fulfilling the Scripture by "deny- 
ing the Lord that bought them." No, there is evidently no 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 121 

water in this passage, and those who so teach "are wresting 
this" (as they do other Scripture) to their "own destruction," 
and "turning the truth of God into a lie." 

The next passage in order, Col. 2:12, reads thus: "Buried 
with Him" or "having been buried with Him in baptism, in 
which ye were also raised with Him through the faith of the 
operation of God who raised Him from among the dead, etc." 
In order to grasp the full sense of this passage it will be neces- 
sary to read the entire connnection, in order to see clearly the 
thing talked about. And as we do this a wonderous fact is dis- 
covered, viz: That circumcision and baptism are the same 
thing. This has been shown before, but never so directly as 
here. We find that the Apostles alter congratulating the 
church which was at Colosse, that they were in the faith, ex- 
horts them to carefulness in these words: "Beware lest any 
man spoil you through phylosophy and vain deceit, after the 
rudiments (principles or teachings) of the world and not after 
Christ." He here gives the reasons for such a course, the argu- 
ment being as before, that nothing is now necessary that is not 
to be had in Christ, for in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the 
God -head bodily," and "Ye are complete in Him * * * in 
whom ye are circumcised with the circumcision not made with 
hands, in the putting away (or putting off) of the body of the 
sins of the flesh in (or through) the circumcision of Christ. 
Having been buried with Him for (or during) baptism, in 
Whom also ye are raised together through (did) the operation 



122 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

of the faith of God who raised Him from the dead, or out of 
the dead. And ye, being dead in your sins and the uncircum- 
cision of your flesh, hath He quicked with Him." It does not 
seem possible that language could be used more fully setting 
forth the great need of the church to-day than this which is here 
used by the Apostle Paul, in his efforts to set forth the truth of 
the Gospel of Christ to the church at Colosse. Almost the 
same circumstances prevailed here as in the church at Galatia. 
There were those here also who taught the necessity of outward 
circumcision, as well as outward baptism. Paul warns the 
brethren against this teaching, denominating it "Phylosophy 
and vain deceit, after the principles of the world and not after 
Christ," assuring them that inasmuch as they wer* in Christ, 
they were in Him both circumcised and baptised, not out- 
wardly and in the flesh, it is true, but in that not made with 
hands, even the purification of Christ, in Whom, he tells them, 
they stand complete, not through the operation of the knife of 
the priest as in circumcision, or by means of being plunged in 
earthly water. All the circumcision, cleansing, purifying, bap- 
tising, here spoken of, is referred to God as the operator, "by 
faith of the operation of God." So here again, as everywhere 
else, our attention is called not to water, but to the operation 
of God through the Holy Ghost, as being that by which man- 
kind is to be raised out of the state of the dead. How exceed- 
ingly strange it is that anyone reading this passage should refer 
this whole matter to water as the thing talked about, when the 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 123 

whole argument is a direct attack upon the practice and teach- 
ing of those who sought to make these new Gentile converts 
believe that their salvation lay in their being circumcised after 
the Law of Moses. That there were then, as now, those who 
also sought to persuade the people that water baptism was also 
necessary to salvation (as some are foolish enough to do to-day) 
is no doubt true. It would seem to be so from the fact that the 
Apostle includes baptism with circumcision, as being of a spir- 
itual character and referring to the operation, not of man, but 
of God. Be this as it may, the fact that both circumcision and 
baptism are wrought in Christ through the cutting off, or cir- 
cumcision of Christ is fully set forth and needs no further com- 
ment or explanation, except to quote this same Apostle in Rom. 
2:28 "He is not a Jew who is one outwardly. Neither is that 
circumcision which is outward and in the flesh. But he is a 
Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that of the heart, 
in Spirit and not in letter, whose praise is not of men, but of 
God." Here is the whole matter so clearly set forth that it must 
have almost paralyzed those old Jews who thought themselves 
to be within the Abrahamic covenant, because they had submit- 
ted themselves to the outward ordinance of circumcision, think- 
ing in their blindness that that was what God meant when 
circumcision was mentioned by Him in the Book. Whereas 
Paul ruthlessly brushes all this aside as being of no practical use 
inasmuch as it was not the thing referred to by God at all, and 
was at best but a figure of the coming purification. What 



124 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

think you he would have said to anyone who would have 
taught that baptism was an outward ordinance to be fulfilled by 
administering water to the person, plunging them under or into 
the water ? We leave this passage without further comment 
although there is much in it that would well repay further in- 
vestigation, but we hurry on only hoping that we will not be 
found, as were those Jews, standing on such untenable ground. 
They had stood before both John and the Master and had re- 
fused eternal life upon the ground of their connection with 
Abraham and hence with God, notwithstanding John the 
Baptist had warned them against such a thought in these words: 
" Think not to say, within yourself, we have Abraham for our 
father." And Christ had plainly told them that they were not 
Abraham's seed in the true sense. " I know that ye are Abra- 
ham's seed, that is according to the flesh, yet ye seek to kill me. 
This did not Abraham." And he says of them " Ye are the 
children of your father, the devil." All of this ought to teach 
us the danger of accepting the shadow for the substance and 
especially so now, when the day of shadow is passed and the 
"true light now shineth." There was much more excuse for 
the blindness of the Jews, than there is for us at the present day. 
They had not the light and instruction, both of precept and 
example that we now enjoy. " Let us beware, lest the promise 
being left us of entering into rest, any of us should seem to come 
short through the same example of unbelief." Paul in this 
passage in Romans but affirms what John and Christ had both 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 125 

previously taught, only that he seemed to make the matter still 
more plain by stating that the circumcision of which the Bible 
spake was not a thing that could at all have its fullfilment in the 
flesh, no matter even if they should, as some did, make of 
themselves " tunuchs " in the vain thought that- salvation lay 
along this line, when as we (and every one else ought to) know 
that this had nothing whatever to do wich the matter, because 
circumcision did not refer to a fleshy operation, but was, even 
as the Apostle said, "that of the heart, in Spirit and not in 
letter, etc." That this must have been new and strange doctrine, 
to those Jews who prided themselves upon their safety by 
virtue of their having had the rite of circumcision performed, 
is certainly true. Let us profit by their error and not be led, as 
were they, to believe that God's holy Law can be fulfilled in the 
outward performance of any ordinance. That there were some 
who "made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's 
sake" is that which the Master himself declares. But how 
foolish and vain was all their effort. "Who hath required this 
at your hands ? " "What doth thy God require of thee ? " 
Nothing of this kind certainly. But He does require purity of 
heart and life; nothing more, nothingless. And this is wrought 
out for us by the Holy Spirit and is not the result of anything 
earthly. That heart purity is the thing everywhere inculcated in 
God's word is that which all most readily acknowledge. Why 
then do we allow ourselves to suppose that aught else than this 
is required ? When God, by the mighty energies of His Holy 



126 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

Spirit, operates upon the human heart, Christ takes posses- 
sion of the soul of man; nothing of a human or earthly character 
h needed as a reinforcement of this Divine energy. And when- 
ever we thrust in any human scheme or ordinance, upon which 
the mind is made to rely as having anything whatsoever to do 
with the matter of our salvation, we are detracting just so much 
from the honor which belongs only to God, as the active in- 
strumentality as well as the cause and ground of our salvation. 
It is yet true " by Grace ye are saved," and if by Grace, then is 
the following of any human plan or device but adding to God's 
word, and is hence, and of necessity, a curse. It is strange that 
any person, in the face of the very plain warning of Scripture, 
and while reading those very passages which most thoroughly 
condemn the course of setting up purely human devices, and 
attributing to them the sanction of God and divine helpfulness, 
should seek to make those very passages in which God utters 
His warning and in which He makes most emphatic piotest 
against such a low conception of His truth, do duty as furnish- 
ing authority upon which to build the very practices which are 
most thoroughly repudiated. But yet this is true. 

In Heb. 6:2 the subject of baptism is again referred to but 
here also it is in connection with repentance, faith and the 
laying on of hands, etc. But here also, as elsewhere, these are 
ascribed to the Holy Ghost inasmuch as it is immediately added 
" for it Is impossible for those who were once enlightened and 
have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 127 

Holy Ghost (or baptized,) etc./' thus showing conclusively that 
the thing referred to is the work of the Holy Ghost, while there 
is not the slightest reference to water in any form, notwith- 
standing baptism is one of the things talked about. 

We now come to examine a passage in 1st- Pet. 1:22 
" Seeing that ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth 
through the Spirit, etc." Here soul purity is ascribed, as in 
every other passage, to the operation of the Holy Spirit. And 
as soul purity is the one great " desiderium " it would seem 
that where this was had nothing else is necessary. This is so 
evident, indeed, that it need not have been quoted at all, except 
to show how uniformly water is ignored by all the Apostles 
and writers in the Book. 

There is yet another passage found in 1st Peter 3:21. We 
will quote the connection: " For Christ also hath once suffered 
for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, 
being put to death in the flesh but quickened in (or through) 
the Spirit, by which also He went and preached to the Spirits 
in prison, which once were disobedient, when once the long 
suffering of God waited in the day of Noah while the ark was 
being prepared. In which few, that is eight souls were saved 
(or kept safe) from the water," or as the old rendering is "Saved 
by water," although the Greek word, and especially the thought, 
is better translated bv the words indicated. The sense is that 
the ark preserved the eight souls, who in obedience to God's 
word, trusted themselves to its care, safe from the destruction 



128 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

which came upon all others during the time that the flood of 
waters was upon the earth. The ark is a figure, the Apostle 
says of that safe and sure salvation, to all those who are baptised 
into Jesus Christ, the Ark of the Covenant. The argument is 
that baptism into Jesus Christ is now the only means of salva- 
tion from the storm, the tempest and the flood, now, and in the 
coming time, sweeping and to sweep over the world (even as in 
the olden time) to the eternal destruction of all of those who 
remain out of the ark of safety, Christ Jesus. And even as the 
ark was a place of safety for Noah and his family, so Christ is 
to all who put their trust in Him. As the one flood was but the 
prophecy of another, even so the one ark was (so said the 
Apostle) a figure of another means of escape from an impend- 
ing destruction, of another time yet to come in the history of 
mankind. Noah was not saved by the flood of waters. On 
the contrary the water was the thing from which it was necessary 
to be saved, which in itself prefigures a time near at hand. 
That there is the greatest danger of men becoming impressed as 
to the worth of water and of being led to put their trust in it, 
to the exclusion from their mind of the " one thing needful," 
of which the Master speaks, which is not water or water baptism 
but which is everwhere declared, even as we have seen in our 
short investigation, to be the baptism of the Holy Ghost and the 
purifying Grace of God in and through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 
There is yet but one passage, found in Revelations, that we 
care to refer to, viz : where one is represented as having his 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 129 

garments dipped in blood. The Greek word used is this same 
word under discussion, viz: bapti%q, or its derivitive, and is 
rendered dip in the English. This is, as we have before said, a 
proper rendering of the word, but it does not properly give the 
sense here. The better rendering would be " having his gar- 
ments dyed or stained with blood," as these words are just as 
legitimately used as translations of the word bapti^o as is the 
word dip, and would no doubt more truthfully represent the 
actual fact than does dip, as the scene appears to be that of a 
warrior in a hand to hand encounter with his enemies (the mode 
of warfare at the time of the writing of these words) in which 
the battle had been of so sanguinary a nature that the blood of 
his enemies stained his garments. That this would happen in 
an encounter of the character referred to is assured, and there is 
no reason in the world for supposing that the narrator meant to 
convey the idea that the warrior had deliberately taken off his 
clothing in order to dip it in the blood of his enemies, especially 
when the word dye and stain are as legitimate and proper 
translations of the word in question as is dip. But in any 
event there is nothing that by any possibility could be made to 
convey the idea that water had anything whatever to do in the 
matter. 

We have now examined every important passage in the 
Book in which the word bapti^p occurs upon which reliance is 
placed, wherewith to prove water baptism as that which is 
commanded by God to man, as a thing to be performed upon 



130 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

him or that which he is instructed to fulfill. And we find, 
perhaps to the amazement of many, that nowhere in the Book, 
either in the mouth of Jesus or any of His Apostles, can it be 
shown that water baptism is anywhere enjoined upon man. 
Nothing which rightly interpreted can be shown to authorize its 
continuance in the church. While on the other hand we find 
that even where water was in some form or measure a factor in 
connection with ceremonial cleansing, that it all passed away 
with the old ceremonial law and was utterly repudiated, as was 
all else which had its fulfillment in Christ. And I hereby 
challenge any man to show where either Christ or any of His 
Apostles practiced or authorized, or in any way sanctioned 
water baptism, as the baptism wherewith any Christian (or 
anybody else for that matter) was to be baptized. The passage 
is not to be found, and no amount of turning and twisting can at 
all help to put water in place of the Holy Spirit of God. This 
has until now been done, but hereafter let men beware of the 
woe that is pronounced upon that man who will knowingly 
either add to or take from God's truth. We now come to the 
close of the argument, not because there is nothing more that 
might be added, but because we consider the matter fully proven 
and farther remarks would be superfluous. 

RECAPITULATION. 
To briefly recapitulate: We have shown, first, that Greek 
words, like the words of any other language, are susceptible of 
various renderings. Also that when a word of more than one 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 13 1 

signification is used to state a fact, or to describe an action, that- 
that wording must be used in translation which most readily 
makes clear the thought in the mind of the speaker or writer, 
and which he is seeking to convey. We have shown that the 
Greek words eis, en, dia and bapti^o, (words most frequently 
used in Scripture in connection with this subject) are words of 
many and altogether different meanings, and that it is impos- 
sible to tell just what is meant by the use of any of these words, 
unless we can first grasp the thought sought to be conveyed by 
the person speaking or writing. We have shown that notwith- 
standing Christ was heralded into the world as the great bap- 
ti^er, that nevertheless He nowhere engaged in the administra- 
tion of water baptism Himself, nor authorized any of His 
Apostles to do so. On the contrary we have shown that He 
most emphatically repudiated water baptism, as His baptism, at 
the same time referring to a baptism which was His, viz : the 
Holy Ghost. We have shown that when John sent messengers 
to Christ for evidence of His Messiahship, that water baptism 
was not among the evidences vouchsafed. We have shown that 
when He, while still with them, sent His disciples forth on their 
first mission, that water baptism was not mentioned as one of 
the things which they were instructed to perform. Neither is 
there an account anywhere given of their having performed 
water baptism under His direction, either upon this or any sub- 
sequent journey. And while the gospel seems to be full of the 
sayings and doings of the Christ and His Apostles, and while a 



132 CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 

strict account seems to have been kept of all that was held to be 
of any importance whatever, such as healing the sick, cleansing 
the lepers, raising the dead, casting out devils, ttc, not one 
word is spoken as to their having in a single instance baptised 
any person in, or with, or by the use of water. We have seen 
that Christ after His resurrection, and as He was about to send 
His disciples forth upon their life work, and while commission- 
ing them to preach and baptise, was very careful to state that 
His baptism to which He referred was not, as was John's, that 
in which water at all entered, but that His baptism was of, or 
with the Holy Ghost. We have also seen that in fulfillment of 
His promise to the disciples, that they were all baptised, or 
filled with the Holy Ghost in about ten days after the making 
of the promise, and through all the happenings of that, and all 
like subsequent occasions, nothing whatever is said of water 
baptism, and that as far as the record shows there is nothing 
whatever to indicate that water was ever thought of in connec- 
tion with what they themselves thought to be their life work. 
Now all of this is simply marvelous in view of the persistency 
with which water baptism is sought to be enforced. It appears 
that if there had been a studied effort to avoid speaking of 
water baptism, the matter could not have been assigned to 
more utter oblivion than it has been in the Scriptures. It is not 
allowed even to be mentioned. Can this utter silence be ac- 
counted for on any ground favorable to the water theory, and 
yet preserve the thought of the great and overshadowing im- 



CHRISTIAN BAPTISM. 133 

portance of water baptism ? It cannot, and I challenge any 
man to the task. 

We now take leave of the argument, hoping that the Chris- 
tian world will not longer consent to have the blessed work and 
office of the Divine Spirit usurped by any earthly element or 
ordinance. And if I have caused any one to look above the 
outward and ceremonial, away to the " Lamb of God which 
taketh away the sins of the world," I shall be happily repaid. 
And I shall now leave the argument in the full assurance of 
God's blessing, and as a Christian, say with the immortal 
Luther : " Here I stand and unless with proofs of Holy Writ 
or with manifest, clear, and distinct principles and arguments I 
am refuted, and convinced, I can and will retract nothing." 



THE END. 



6t/i 



